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'he (
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GLEANINGS.

T S ^

Ye MUST be born :ioaiii."

— -yo/ni III., 7.

^he OWNER will please LOAN ) THIS

^he BORROWER will please RETURN j" BOOK.

JAS, HOUGH, JR., PRINTEK AND UOOKBINDKR, Gl HI.PH.

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INDHX.

No Difference
Too Easy .
Not Works .
The Scriptures
Look and Live
Faith . . .
Trust . .
Unbelief . .
Belief . .

PAGE.

page.

. 9

Holy Spirit .

. . 79

Prayer . . .

. 17

Gospel . .

. . 98

Atonement . .

108

Jesus Only .

. . 113

. 37

Feeling . .

. 135

Experiences .

. . 148

. 62

Election . .

163

assurance

. . 172

A List of the Parties from' whose Tuhlished Writings
thi' 5-jo lixtnicts have been taken

Rev. Alexander Marshall

Rev. Abraham Booth

Rev. Alexander McLaren

Rev. A. J. (jordon, D.D.

Rev. (\ H. Spurgeon

Rev. C'harles G. Finney

Rev. Cssar Malan

Rev. David Brainard

Mr. I>. L. Moody

Rev. F. Whitfield

Rev. Francis Wayland

Miss Frances R. Havergel

Rev. George Duffield

Rev. U. P. Warren

Rev. Horatios Bonnor

Rev. H. W. Soltau

Rev. T. De Witt Talmage

Mr. John Bunyan

Rev. J. I. Ingles

Rev. John Gillmore

Mr. John Calvin

Mr. J. Sewall

PS— The author has taken
words in the extracts quoted.

Rev. John Flavel
Rev. John Cummings
Rev. J. C. Ryle
Rev. John Hadie
Rev. James Gall
Rev. Jonathan Edwards
Rev. M. S. Baldwin
Mr. M. G. Pearce
Rev. Newman Hall
Rev. p. G. Guinnes
Rev. Robert Boyd
Rev. K. M. McCheyne
Rev. Richard Baxter
Rev. Robert Peden
Mr. T. S. S., The Author
Rev. Thomas Scott
Mr. Thomas Mills
Mr. Thomas Brooks (1655)
Rev. W. P. McKay
Rev. W. R. Read
Rev. W. S. McKenzie
Rev. William Carey
the liberty to italicize some of the

PREFACE.

THE author has been for many years an extensive reader
of religious literature, and has been in the habit while
reading of marking with a pencil any paragraph of special
interest, to enable him [in after years to glance over such
paragraphs without reading the entire volume. This was
done without the most remote idea of ever using any such
marked paragraphs other than for his own private use.

The author is of the opinion that there is not such
a super-abundance of such doctrine now preached or printed
that there is not ample room for this small addition thereto
—hence the appearance of this book.

The author believes firmly that the various extracts
given contain the very essence of that identical gospel that
Christ commanded his disciples [to ''j^o into all the xvorld
and preach r The author now spreads the whole contents
before the Lord, as did Hezekial the letter of Sennacherib
(2 Kings xix. 14), and he does so with much less hesi-
tancy than he commits it to the criticism of his fellow-
creatures.

T. S. S.

Brantford, Ont., 1893.

tio

Nc^ nrFPMt:RKNCK.

Conversion is not the j;ivin<( up of one form (/. .eli<;ioi;
and adoptini? another. It is not renouncing on i creed or
system of theolojrv and adoptinjj ;'.nolher. It ^ not even

• . - - . f' ^,,,,. ,,4.e(ls con ve. ion.

111 crjiist I'l^nce of the distance lietAeen the author uiid
Inter, only '/ne " proof" was corrected — hence many
noyiiiR typogniphiail and other errors.

a<;k.

Line
from Top.

If.

Ehkoks.

Corrections.

P. 0. (Juinnes

P. G. (juinness

F. K. Havergel

F. K. Havcrgal

Horatios Hoiinur

Horatius Kunnar

simular

similar

uncunibered

unincumbered

«S

ingcntus

ingenious

dispare

despair

warrent

warrant

how how

hdW

am .satisfied

am I satisfied

»4

he see

he sees

meaning

morning

ment

meant

alcinated

alienated

Is it

It is

•3

implicate

implicit

heavens !

hearers

men

then

memt

meant

sinner one

sinners am

>hisical!y

physically

ICdward

Edwards

Kunyon's

Bunyan's

I06

live

life

109

need hear

need to hear

Il2

(Jod's our Son

God's own Son

I2I

commandments

commandment

«39

K. P. DIARY

E. P. (Diary)

«47

she

>63

hazzarding

hazarding

163

arguement

argument

»<55

»7

Armincan

Arminian

'65

temdest

tempest

i6s

Armincan

Arminian

166

constrainith

constraineth

167

Satan too

Satan to

J 68

witheld

with-held

169

fore Iciiow

foreknow

tioti of tondu -t in the
)ther hand a man may
mverted. Conversion
■lan^'e. It is the bein^'
intriafted into Christ,
'c nature. .1. <'•

d education never yet
11 a certain amount of
ever made a Christian.

:)nsciences have been
jught about and begin
.icate and reform their
leant bv '■^born again^
w. I'.

m'k.

enaciously chng to is,
are pleasing in (jod's
In spiritual matters, as
/irds. ###*''*''**
towards the cemetery,
je. "I want men" he

' I

No Difference.

Conversion is not the givintr up of one form of religion
and adopting another. Tt is not renouncing one creed or
system of theology and adopting another. It is not even a
igid reformation of character. Every one needs conversion,
lit every one does not need reformation of conduct in the
rdinary sense of the word. On the other hand a man may
[reatly reform who may never he converted. Conversion
i not a physical change nor a social change. Tt is the heing
levered from the Old Adam stock and ingrafted into Christ.
[t is hecoming a partaker of the Divine nature. l. <i.

The greatest amount of theological education never yet
Isaved a man. Creed, or the belief in a certain amount of
jdoctrine, has made Christendom, but never made a Christian.
|"Ye must be born again."

Others again, when their consciences have been

I reached, try to get this new birth brought about and begin

most zealously to train and trim, to educate and reform their

old nature, quite ignorant of what is meant by '■born ao-ain.'"

W. I'

m'k,

The idea is, which men most tenaciously cling to is,
if they can only do those things which are pleasing in Ciod's
right, then God will grant them life. In spirittial matters, as
in physif^il, life is first, activity afterwards. #*#****
You meet a man anxiously pressing towards the cemetery,
and, stopping him, ask him the cause. ''I want men" he

GLEANINGS.

says "to enable me to fulfil a lar_L(c contract," "Hut why i^o,
of all places, to the cemetery r'' you ask aj^ain— "none there
but dead men." "The reason why T do <^o,'' he replies —
unemployed hands there, sir! 1 have something for them to
do/' "The man's mad," \ou sa\-, and turn away. No
doubt he is, l)u( not more so, in a sjiiritual sense, than he who
addresses a whole congrc<ifation dead in trespasses and sins,
as if they were all living members of Jesus Christ, -- who
have not yet began to l>reathc. m. n.

There is a mighty difference between the moral and the
immoral in many respects, though ncjue whatever so fur as
salvation is concerned. The most wicket may come and
ougJit to come just as he is. * * * * There is tire in the
ihnt beff)re the steel strikes it. Not a sin another man has
committed l)ut I might have committed under simular

circumstances.

I. o.

The verdict of iyuilix havin<r been brousfht in against
the sinner, he is actually, "under condemnation", and, conse-
quently, the penalty must come down on his own head or
that of the sithstit/itc j^rovided h\ the law-maker. It is not
a mere matter of sinning and being forgiven, it is verv much
inf»re ; it is to be justified, redeemed. President Arthur
might ha\e fiardoi/cd (luiteau for the cold-blooded murder
of President (irarfield ; Init it was bevond his power to justif\-
him. By that act Ouiteau broke a divine and a human law,
to both of which a penalt}- is attached. With respect to the
human law, e\ery American demanded that he should be
hangetl in accordance ^^•ith the penaltv attaclied to the law
he had broken, and hanged he was ; and mcrc\\ mcrcy^ dared
not raise her voice during the h.anging. If the law of man is
to be thus \ indicated, ought not the law of God to be equally
so? "He that believeth not is condemned already." John
III., iS. "He that believeth on the Son Jiath everlasting
life." John III., 36. t. s. s.

NO DIFFERENCE.

It why fro,

lonc there
L' I'eplies —
'>!■ them to

an he uiio
'^ii^^l sins,
""U who

M. M.

''/and the
'■ so fur as
come .'inri
tire in the
■ man has

simulnr

.;. G.

The standing of every believer before God in Christ
Jesus, known only by faith here, is the same, and is indepen-
dent of his rcalizin<i^ it or enjoyinj^j it.

'I'he actual state of every Christian upon the earth is
likewise the same. What an anomaly any Christian is in
the world! A son of God walking; through a God-hatinj;
world, with a God-hatinj; devil its head, and having within
him a God-hating nature ; the fact being that every
Christian, as to conflict down here, is in Egypt, in the Wild-
derness, and in Canaan.

The experience of every Christian is not the same, but
varies in different people, and in the same person at different
times, according as he ktiows liis standing before God, knows
his state, and walks in the Spirit. Thus we find the reason
of so much seeming contradiction in Scripture, and in the
writings of God-taught men. w. i*. m'k.

n against
id, conse-
1 head oi-
It is not
'i"y much
: Arthur
1 murder
<> justify
nan law,
^■t to the
ould be
the law
»', dared
f man is
ecjuallv
John
riastinu
s. s.

" Well^ I cannot sec it^

^'-B lit it is in Gocfs Word ^ zvliether you see it nr not f

and it is sufficient that God has said it, for His Word is
truth.

'For there is no difference ; for all have sinned, and come

short of the glory of CJod.' This is what God has said."

Of course there are differences in heinousness or degrada-
tion of sins. 1 need not stop to speak of this ; we all know
it. I wish to tell you what you and I do not by nature
know ; namely, that there is no difference as to where we
stand before God. The one ([uestion is, guilty or not guilty.
There arc no degrees as to the fact of guilt. "lie that of-
fends in «//<- point is guilty of all," and nothing less. He that
offends in all points is guilty of all, and nothing more.
Therefore, while there arc differences among offences, there
is no difference as to guilt. Therefore, all men in the world
(and you included), have been brought in guilty before
God. w. p. m'k.

GLEANINGS.

Oh, eternity! eternity! How should the thought
thereof fill us! To be miserable in eteiiiity! How iniserablel
To be happy in eternity! What happiness! r. s.

And all the people in the world the as tliose two thieves
did. None ever died, or ever will die, without sin ix them.
The name of every man when he dies will be sinner. The
name of eaeh man was thief to the very last breath; but one
died a saved thief the other died an unsaved thief. The
one set of men die saved sinners, the other imsaved sinner!^.

w. \\ m'k.

Poo Eas^

" Well," .says one, "•but 1 cannot see bow simply trust-
ing in Cbrist, and believing Gcjcl's witness of him, would save
my soul." Mv dear man, are you never to believe anything
but what you can see, and how are vou to see this tbinuf till
you ha\e tried it ? * * Vou must believe the Gospel on
the evidence of God, and not otherwise, or your faith is not
faith in God at all. The faith which is commended in the
(jospel is faith in the record which (iod has given concerning
his Son, a faith which takes God at His Word. Helieve, then,
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and \'ou have believe God to be true
and vou are sa\ed. c. n. s.

In one sense, there is nothing wore casj' than to trust
Christ, and be saved now ; but in another sense, nothing is
more difficult. * * To get a man to strive in the rig lit
sense, is to stop him from striving in the wro/ig sense.
There is no occasion for "striving" in the sense so manv
understand it to their own destruction— as if God after all was
unwilling to save, and could only be prevailed ujjon to be
merciful, by a certain amount of sorrow for sin, earnestness
in prayer, «fec., kc. Oh no ! 0\\ God's part. " All things
are now ready " ; " The work is finished " for the sinner to
" accept." .). <;.

Perhaps you think that God might as well pardon you
at once and have done with it ; that is your plan. Suppose
he did so. Suppose that he at once blotted out your sins from

GLEANINGS.

his book, atid there was uii end of it ; what peace would that
give vou ? Wliat security for the future ? A God who
could pardon without justice might one of these days con-
demn without reason. He who could set aside his law so as
not to execute his threateniiijjs, migrht some dav set aside his
Gospel so as not to fulfil his promises. It is a j^^rand fjround
of peace for us that (iod is never unjust in order to be j^raci-
ous ; lie saves sinners, but }iot till he has laid their sins upon
Christ, and is both just, and yet the justitier of him that be-
lieveth. Yoiu' plan of pardon without an expiation would
not work ; it would not i^ive confidence to you, and it would
certainly dishonor the character of the ]Most Hi<ih. c. n. s.

Another cries out " that is too j^ood to be true." Oh,
poor soul, but have you ne\er read, "As high as the heavens
are above the earth, so are my wjiys above your ways, and
my thoughts above your thoughts V A less Salvation would
not avail for v»'U, nor glorify God. Some feel that the Gos-
pel is too simple. They want a more complicated system
than — " believe and live." IIovv can it be too simple for
finite minds like yours ? * * Anyhow, dear friends, let
me say to you, whether it is a mystery or not, God bears wit-
ness to it^ and if you do not believe it you make (iod a liar.
Whether you think it too simple, or too wonderful, or too
good, or too anything, you must either believe it or be lost.
Be it simple, or mysterious, wonderful or commonplace, the
Lord asserts it to be true, and if you refuse his witness you
must take the consequence and be lost. c. h. s.

The thought that we must first love Goil, to be saveiU
instead of being saved solely because God loves us, clings
most tenaciously to fallen n. ture ; but nothing short of seeing
God's love to lis in t'ie cross of Christ, even when we were
dead in sin, can give peace. j. i.

TOO KASY.

Many are stumbled at the simplicity of the Gospel.
When it is presented to them in all its fullness and frceness,
they declare that helievinjj on the Loril Jesus Christ is ^'far
TOO kasy'* a way.

Thank God, it is an "easy" way of heinj^ saved. XWdl
niif^ht the j)oct Cowper ^'mg,

"Oh how iirh'ke the coiiiplux works of iii;in
lli'a\cn"s KAsV artless, vincuiubcicd iilaii."

Thoiuj^h an "easy" way, it is not "too easy,"" since it is oh-
tained by helikni.vo that tjie uii'I' icri/r work has am.
i!i:ex done J5Y AXOTHiCR — by the Lord Jesus Christ.

It was not "easy" for him to be mocked aiul insulteil In
ujen. It was not "easy'' for Him to be scour<]^ed, spat upon,
and crucified. It was not "easy," in the moment of His
humiliation and aj^ony, to be forsaken by His Father. It
was not "easy" for Him to be "wounded for our transjifres-
Mons and bruised for our iniquities,"

Thounjh an easy way, it is God's only way of savin<i^
sinners, antl if you are not sa\'ed in that way, dear reader,
you will never be saved at all. "To him that wouketh

NOT, RIT iUil.IENETH OX H I M THAT JUSTII lED THK UN-

t.oDi.N', his faith is counted for ri<jjhteousnoss." a. m.

"What," says one, "can you mean it, that I, an unfeelin<^-,
impenitent wretch, am bidden to come at oucc and believe in
[esus Christ, for everlasting life ?" f mean just that, I do
iu)t mean to send you round to that shop for repentance, and
to the other shop for feeling, and to a third for a tender
heart, and then direct you to call on Christ at last for a few
odds and ends. No I No ! ! No ! ! ! best come to Christ for
e/erything, and at once. c. h. s.

Mr. Moody, in his method of rei:>ly, was i:)ressing his
inquirer into the very heart of the gospel plan of salvation.
He was aiming, by a most ingenius way, to set before the
embarrassed sinner, the object on which faith must fasten

GLEANINGS.

itself, in order to secure the deliverance soujijht. It is not to
believe that "God is truth, lij^ht and love," or that he is one
"with whom there is no variableness," or "to whose nature
ou<jht of falseness is not only impossible, but inconceivable,
unthinkable," or to believe ///.sV xvhat iiod has sa'nl^ox "that
God loves the world," or "that he sent his Son," or that "who-
soever believeth, need not perish," or that, "when God says
'vhosoevci\ he means -vhosocvci-^" but it is to hcllevr oti
Christ.

It is to believe a person^ and not simplv sonict/tinn- con-
a person. It is to accept of Christ as a Saviour, and not
merely the truth relatinj^ to his character and his WH)rks,

m'k.

Let no man, woman (*r child here sav, concernintj him-
self, that there is x\dif}iculty with God which Christ has not
I'emoved. The difliculty is in thine own soul, and if thou be
willinjj to be reconciled, as sure as thou liveth, and as sure as
God's l)Ook is true, there is reconciliation provided for thee
in Jesus Christ, the Son of (iod. Oh ! what j^ladncss it is
to be allowed to be speak thus.

n. s.

Your faith must recognize Christ as a pcrs( //, and come
to him as a person., and rest not in his teach i)ig merely, or
his work only, but in him. "Come unto me all ye that labor
and are heavv laden, and / 'vill give you rest. c. n. s.

Not W^oriv

A letter was put in my hand while writinj^ this hook: —
"Mother would like to ha\e a conversation with you regard-
in<jf that most important of all thintis which you mentioned
in your letter, hut she is not without liopc^ trustinjj^ in the
mercy (not in the blood yon ohser\e) of Jesus Christ."' Just
so, .She is not without /^opt•. Who isr Jiut what is the
irro/nid oi \ir * * * These jj^ross sinners do not perish,
hccause they are so, as i Cor. VI., 9-11, and man}- other
passaj^es show, hut because they fail to apprehend the very
mercy, they die cryinjj^ for — extendctl to them througli jesus
Christ, like a man who peiishes in the water, thouj^h there
is a rope within his reach, because he either connot find it,
or is too weak, or too benumbed to ji^rasp it. Oh I reader, the
scheme of Redemption is founded u])on /us/Zrc, and not on
mere mercy. (iod cat. hejnst and pardon (00. Rom. 4, >

Go on, then, to tell everyboiiy that the righte<nisness
which saves you is the rij^hteousness of God, not your own
righteousness. There is no such thing as human righteous-
ness; the two words make up a contiadiction. Any righteous-
ness that you could gain by your own works would be "filthy
rags" at the best ; and filthy rags are not righteousness. We
have no personal merit, but we are justified by imputed
righteousness. Make mention of the righteousness of Christ
which covers you from head to foot. c h. s.

Ci L E A N I N r, S ,

To accept the j^lft of free <jracu' is contrary to our proud
nature, and the power of (iod is needed io/f/t/urc us tt) tlirow
down the tools with which we work for sal\ ation, and take
with joyful hands the full, free, and finished salvation which
jesus i)estows on all who trust him. This plan of tru>tin<;
in Jesus for .salvation one would have th()U<^ht would have
heen joyfully accepted hy all, hut, instead of that, no man
receiveth the witness of God, tliouj^h it be infallible truth.

r. II. s.

Why 1 thought I had a great deal to (A>, hut I found it
was only to /oo^-. I thought I had a garment to spin out
for myself ; hut I foimd that if I looked Christ woidd give
me a garment. Look, sinnei*, that is to be saved. * * *
When Moses held up the bra/.en serpent, he said, "Look!"
and they looked and were healed. j. (;. (?)

God has but one price for salvation. Do you want to
know what the price is ? It is without money and w ithout
price. Rowland Hill said that auctioneers found they had
hard work to get people /// to their prices, while ministers
have harder work to get sinners dmvii to theirs. " The gift
of (iod is Eternal life through Jesus Christ the Lord."

D. L. M.

Salvation is not obtained by penances, painful and hu-
miliating: nor by despondency and dispare; nor by any
jfforts, mental or spiritual, involving a purchase by labor or
pain ; but oitircly and aloue by faith ^ or trust in the Lord
Jesus. Do you ask — is it so, that salvation is by believing,
simply believing? Such is the statement of the word of God.
We proclaim it upon the warrent of infallible Scripture.
No ivorks. c. H. s.

NOT WOUKS.

Sclf-sahiUion, cither by his personal worthiness, or by
his repentance, or by liis resolves, is a hope enj^rained in
luiiiian nature, and very hard to renio\ e, and who shall ^ct
it out of hini r j. (;.

'•I zrurA-, ;iiiil()wn my /ii('i>r xiiiii,
Aiul Unis fniiii xrorks I it'axf,

I s/rnf, and sec \\\\ Jrni/liss /tiiii.
rill (loil crciitf 111^- p«jac«.'."'

"The <jfospel is nuich clouded by legal terms, conditions,
and qualifications. If my doctrine were, upon condition that
you (lid so and so -that you l)elie\ e, and repent, and mourn,
and pray, and obey, antl the like — tlun you shall have the
fayor of (iod — 1 dare not for my life say that this is the
i^osi^cl. Hut the j^osj)el I desire to jireach to \ou is, will you
haye a Christ (as an object) to ivork faith, repentance, loye,
and all fjood in you, and to stand between you and the sword
of Diyine wrath? Here there is no room for you to object
that you are not qualified, because you are such a hardened,
unhumblcd, blind, and stupid wretch. For the cjuestion is
not, will you remoye these evils, and then come to Christ r
but. Will yon have a Christ to remove them for von y

w. u.

It is not '•'Look to your priest, and be ye saved:" But it
is ''Look unto meP How frcqently you who are coming
to Christ, look to yourselves, "O!'' you say. "I do not repent
enough." That is looking at yourself. "I do not belie\e
enough." That is looking to yourself. "I am too un-
worthy." That is looking to yourself. "I cannot discover"
says anothei, "that I ha\c an\- righteousness." That is'true
but it is quite wrong to look for any in yourself. * * *
David said: "Have mercy upon me, for tnihe iniquity is
g^reaty c. H. s.

GLEANINGS.

■II

It is "without money juul without price.'' I wish I knew
how iiow ti) put this truth into such words that evervl)oclv
could uudcrstaud mc, and that nohodv could /;//.vuudcrstaiid
Mie. \\nictu\cr a man is saved he is saved hecause (iod
fieely saves him, not hecause there was anythiiijj^ in him to
ifcscri'c salvation, or any particulai' fitness in him whv Ciod
should deliver him and not another. The j^ifts of (jod's jjjracc
are ahsolutely free in the most unrestricted sense of that term.
* * * It is so surprisinj^ to them that the plainest terms
cannot make them understand it; and,thou<^!i you tell them a
thousand times a day, yet they persist in thinkin<^ that \ou
mean somethin<^ el>e. Thev cannot he hrou^ht to accept it
as literally true that they are to ha\e salvation gratis! and
eternal life as the pure jijift of lieavcn's cliarity. * * They
were unahle to helie\ e that so simple a matter could he the
soul sa\ inij ;^ospel ; they looked for mystery, ditriculty and
complex preparation. . c . ii. s.

ill!

l;l

"• Ask him what it is he finds makes helievinjy difHculi
to him ? Is it unwillingness to he justiiied and saved r Is
it unwilliti<4-ness to he so saved hy Jesus Christ to the praise
of God's <>race in him, and to the voiding of all boasting in
himself ? This he will surely denv. Is it a distrust of the
truth of the gospel record .' This he dare not own. Is it a
doubt of Christ's ability or good-will to save ? This is to
contradict the testimony of God in the g( spel. Is it because
he doubts of an interest in Christ and his redemption ? Vou
tell him that believing on Christ makes up the interest in
him. If he say that he cannot believe on Jesus Christ, be-
cause of the difficulty of the acting this faith, and that a
divine power is needful to draw it forth, whicli he finds not,
you tell him that believing in Jesus Christ is no work, but a
resting on Jesus Christ; and that this pretence is as unreason-
able as that if a man wearied with a journey, and who is not
able to go one step farther, should argue, 'I am so tired that
I am not able to lie down,' when, indeed, he can neither
stand or go. h. b.

NOT WORKS.

In oiu" stMise there is nothiiifj^ more firsy tlinn to trust
Clirist and l>e saved /foz'.' ; hut in another sense nothing; tworc
(//f/ir////. Most are "in an ajj^oi.v'' in pa^sinjr from death to
life - so the word "stri\e" imparts. To (rvt a man to "strive"
in the r/'o/// sense, is to stop him from 'Stii\in<^" in the
wrofii^- sense. * * As if (iod weie, after all, unwiUins^ to
^ave, and could only he piexailed Ujion to he merciful, hv
manifestation of sorrow for sin, earnestness in prayer, tS:c. t\:c.
Oh, nol On (jod's )):irt "all thinj^s are //'':(.■ ready," "the
work is //V//.V //<■(/." Christ is "the wav.'' .1. <;.

Whenever we 're hroujrht to perfect so/t/ poverty and
ahsolute baiikntptr, of spirit, so that we tinn om* piu'ses in-
side out, and cannot tind one rusty cent left, then Christ and
;ill the treasures of his j^race arc ours. Oh to he hrouj^ht
down to the lowest depth of self-despair, for that is the d«)or
of hope. While vour cup is half-full, Christ will not pour
his wine into it. Sou hrinji^ your cups and say, " Lord, there
is a little i^ood at the hottom, does not that recommend me ?"
Xo, un^ iio^ He will ne\er pour in the new wine of the kinjjj-
<lom until vou are turned hottom upwards, and wiped out as
a man wippeth a dish ; hut when you are cpiite emptied then
he will pour in the stream of his lo\e until it hrims the ves.
sel of your nature. c. ii. s.

Hut you are not recpiired to make good any personal
claim, save that you are a sinner ; — not that you feel yourself
to be one (that would open up an endless metaj)hysical in-
quiry into your own feelinjys) ; — hut simply that you are one.
This you know upon God's authority, and learn from his
word ; and on this you act, whether vou feci vour sinfulness
or not. The gospel needs no ascertaining of ainthing ahout
ourselves, save what is written in the I^ible, and what is com-
mon to all Adam's children, — that we need a Saviour. It is
upon this need that faith acts ; it is this need that faith pre-
sents at the throne of grace. The question, then, is not, Am
I satisfied with my faith? but, Am I a needy simier, and am
satisfied that in Christ there is all I need ? h. b.

GLEANINGS.

They work forWic, not fro/// life. Thev persist in i/o///o-
instead of f/-/(st/'/io- artlessl\- to what //as been do/ic. Thus
" Tliey are ever leartiin<j^, but never cominj^to the knowledj^e
of the truth/' And TvvY/ //of "submit themselves to the
righteousness of (»od." Nothing but resting upon Christ
ca/i give genuine, permanent, scrijjtural peace. .1. (;.

if!

Are your sins all gone : " No," says one, " I cannot say
they are, but I am doing my very best to reform." Oh! you
ma\' do your very best to reform ; I hope you will, but that
will never w.tsh out your past sins. All the waters of the
rivers of leformation can never wash away a single blood-red
stain of guilt. * * If thy faith be free of all self trust
thou shall know. ^' * ^^^^^' acknowledge ytnu' sin,
and put your trust in Christ, and there is no one man among
vou shall be cast out at last. c. w. s.

Hiii

II !

li^

It is a secret and fixed impression, that there is so//icthi//g
that he, himself, can and must do, antecedent to simple faith,
that keeps many an anxious inquirer away from Christ. If
he really feels, and frankly confesses, his inability to do any-
thing of himself in the direction of faith, he will find in that
conscious weakness and helplessness some crumbs of comfort.
We should \•^\\^t f/-o/// him e\en those crumbs of comfort.
We should shut him out fr.)m e\ ery false co\ ert, and allow
him no rest, that will, for a single moment, detain him from
seeking that rest, which follows instantly and surely the rv-
('/■risc of t /■//(• faith. w. s. m'k.

They begin to examine their hearts, and they cannot find
one particle of love in them to God. "If," said he, "we were
not to be saved till we loved Ilim, we would never be saved
at all ; but the blessed truth is, Hk i.ox'Es us." "Herein is
love, not that we love God, b/tf that He loved us^ and sent
His Son to be the propitiation for ours sins." The moment

NOT WORKS

she saw that God has so loved her as to <jfive Jesus as a pro-
pitiation for her sins, peace and jov fdied her heart, and she
could not help loving Ilini for all He had done to her.
Have vou been trying to love (Jod in onler to he saved? If
so, give it up. It is true you ought to love (jod, but so long
as vou are unsaxed vou cannot. Mediate on His love to you,
and you will be able to say, Wp: i.onk HiNr, ijkcausk Hk
Kip.-T LOVKD IS. I John, IV, 19. .'' M.

'Hi

Religious teachers often assert in the most fnsifivr man-
ner, that the sinner has i/ot/iii/i^' -chatvvcr to do in the mat-
ter of ins conversion; — that it is all of piu'e grace; and then,
he is m-ged to do a niniiber of things, such as to avoid evil
companions. ^Vttend the means (*f grace, etc. These are
tilings that the uncon\erted are required to do, but iiothini^\
absolutely i/ot/ihfo,, hy tvV^r of conipc)isatiou\ ior '■''the i^> /ft of
(tO(1 is eternal life t/iro/ii^h ycsns Christ the LorJP It is a
nccessarv doiiio- for the starving begger to ask for, masticate,
and swallow the food oiz'e// him, but in no way is it doii/o-
as a coinpoisatson to the giver of the food. r. s. s.

They arc instrucied to believe that, if what thev arc
counselled to do, is done, thev will be saved. Not, indeed bv
or for doing that, or in conse([uence of that w hich tlie\' aie
urged to do. Put in doing that thev pass into the straight
gate of salvation. At that moment, and in that effort, thev
became Christians, the chiklren of God.

We reject such counsels as unscriptural, deluding, an<l
perilous. Thev cannot conduct an\' soul in.o the straightgate.
Away, with all such exhortations! Let the de])ra\iiy and
lielplessuess of man be distinctly and faithfidly prociiimed;
let the claims of Ciod be j)ungently and peisistenth' jiressed ;
let man's moral responsibility be plainly and emphatically
enunicated ; but let us not set a poor sinner upon a series of
self-originated, and self-righteous efforts, which can eiul only
in a false hope, or in utter discouragement. w. s. m'k.*J

GLEANINGS

He feels death in his soul. He used to be able, as he
thoufi^ht, to do anythitiw; his notion was that he could repent
and believe, amend and reform, and save himself zvhciicvcr
he liked: but now the cold chill of death has come upon all his
powers, and he hears c\en Christ in mercy sayintj, "without
me ye can do iiothino-y A man experiences a dreadful
paralysis in his soul when he is really arid thorou<jhly
awakened, and the vSpirit of God is makinjj^ sure work of liis
I'onversion. ( . ir. s.

It is said the Lord let down from heaven three
links in the chain of His mere}-. These links are, /iearino-^
/>e//ev/f/^\ Aav/z/o'. But iSatan forjj^es the three iron fetters —
doiiio-^ feelino-^ prayim^-. This is the work of (jod, that ye
helieve ow him whom he hath sent. ruE witness.

and

I wa

migV

hope

runs

cann

lyin^

soul

and

havi

can i

tion

shoe

led t

The Hible says we are harii lost. * '"This is a hard say-
ino^ who can bear it r" but still there is nothinoj more
clearly tau,<J[iit in the word of (iod. Unbelief of tins truth is
at the root of the '•^(/o/z/o'''' system. It is of the utmost im-
portance to understand thorou<ijhly the nature of your /os/
state, in order to see what it is to be saved, and //o-c you are
to be saved. ]. v,.

He gives him, in fact, itoth'm^- to ito\ nothin*;- to please
his vanitv, or stimulate his self-conceit. He jjrescrioes no
fasts, no tears, no himian effort; only utt'.-rs these words " Ex-
cept a man be born a<(ain," tS:c. Now, as lonjy as a man think
there /.s soincth'uio- by the doinji^ of which he can procure his
salvation — no matter what that something is — he will never
dispare. But when at last the conviction is forced upon him
that he is absolutely dependent on the Holy Spirit and that
he must be born aga'ui^ he sec, for the first time, that God
recpiires something utterly beyond his power. x. B,

NOT WORKS

of Jiis

I know at least that this was my case — that when sincere
and anxions to do or be anythin<^ which might save my soul,
I was utterly in the dark as to the way in which my salvation
might be rendered thoroughly secure. Now, this meaning I
hope I shall be able to put it in such a light that he who
runs may read. * * Saying — " Lord save me for I
cannot save myself ; I give myself up to thee, freely re-
lying upon thy power, and believing in thy love I give my
soul up to thee to be washed, cleansed, saved and preserved,
and at last brought home to heaven." * * * vSome
have relinquished self, but are not able yet to see that Christ
can and will save them. They are waiting for some revela-
tion ; they think, perhaps, that by some marvellous electric
shock, or some miraculous feeling within them, they will be
led to place their confidence in Christ. They want to see an
angel or a vision, or hear a voice. * * * Take me as
I am, and make me what thou would'st have me to be. I am
vile but thou art worthy; I am lost, but thou art the Savior;
I am dead, but thou art the cpiickner ; take me, I beseech
thee ; I put my trust in thee, and though I perish I will
perish, relying on thy blood. If I must die, I will die with
niy arms about thy cross. c. ii. s.

Such phrases as, "decide for Cnrist," "give your heart
to God" are objectionable, although a right enough thing is
ment, in as much as they imply an cff'ort to be put forth,
what may be misunderstood. j. g.

Hi;

\ '^:^- ^^

Conviction of sin and sense of danger shoukl not be
considered, however as inducing God to /.'/rv, but as inclining
us to receive^ not as exciting the Father of mercies to forgive
our offences, or the compassionate Jesus to justify our per-
sons; but as impelling us to accept the provision which
soverign grace has made for the entirely desitute. A. h.

GLEANINGS.

li you learn these three lessons you will never talk about
your doi)igs. "Your part" is to admit that you are a helpless,
hell-deserving sinner, unable to do anything to save yourself.
"Your part" is to cease thinking of being saved by anything
you can do or feel. "Your part" is to believe that Jesus did
everything that was necessary — that lie finished the work of
atonement and paid the I'ansom price with His precious
blood. Whenever you cease trying to be saved by your
doings^ and believe on the Lord Jesus, who did it all and paid
it all, you bec(^me a son of God, an heir of glory, and a
joint-heir with Jesus Christ.

"To him that wouketh not, but believcth on Him that
justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteous,
ness." Rom. IV. 5.

"It is finished, yes, indeed,
Finished every jot;

Sinner, this is all you need,
Tell ine, is it not?"

If God is satisfied with the "finished" work, you ought
to be satisfied with that which satisfies Him.

RELIGION TRACT.

Nothing- either great or small,

Nothing sinner, no;
Jesus did it, did it all,

Long, long ago.

Till to Jesus' woi-k you cling,

By a simple f.iith,
"Doing" is ii deadly thing,

"Doing" ends in death.

Cast your deadly "Doing down,
Down .at Jesus' feet;

Stand in Ilim, in Ilim alone.
Gloriously complete.

The Scripxtjres.

!i|

'''■ I

Oh, book of books! and wast thou written by my God ?
Then will I bow before thee. Thou book of vast authority!
thou art a proclamation from the Emperor of Heaven ; far be it
from me to exercise my reason in contradicting thee. Reason,
thy place is to stand and find out what this volumn means^
not to tell what this book ought to say. c. ii. s.

Now you tha*^ cannot fully understand the gospel as you
desire to do, that are puzzled and muddled, give your hand
into the hand of Jesus, and be willing to be led, be willing to
believe what you cannot comprehend, and to grasp in confi-
dence that which you are not able yet to measure with your
understanding. The blind, however ignorant or uninstructed
they are, shall not be kept away because of that.

c. H. s.

You are saying "May I now go to God just as I am,
and through Jesus Christ yield myself up, and fwill he for-
give me ?" Dear brother, or dear sister, wherever you
may be, try it. That is the best thing to do, try it^ and, if
the angels do not set the bells in heaven ringing, God has
altered from what he was last week, for I know he received
poor sinners then, and Iwill receive them now. The worst
thing 1 fear about it, is, lest you should say, " I will think
about it." Don't think of it. Do it. Go away to God at
once, c. H. s.

«&. j^

GLEANINGS.

Now, do prav the Lord to give you the salvation of the
Bible, ill the Hible's own way. Lord, if thy word says, I
must repent, give me thy salvation, and cause me to repent:
if thv word says that I must confess my sin, give me thy
salvation in the confession of sins; if thou sayest, I must
trust to Christ, Lord help mc now to trust him; only grant
me thv salvation according to the word. * * Since thou
thyself hast made my salvation possible without infringment
of thv law. I beseech thee fulfil the design of the great
sacrifice, and save even me. c. ii. s.

They take for granted that Christ has not done his work
sufficiently, and that God is not willing to give you faith,
till you have plied him with the arguments and importunities
of months or vears. God is at this moment willing to
bless vou ; and these struggles oi yours are not, as you fancy,
humble attempts on your part to take the blessing, but
proud attempts either to put it from you, or to get hold of it
in some way of vour <»wn. You cannot, with all vour
struggles, make the Holy Spirit more willing to give you
faith than he is at this moment. But your self-righteousness
rejects this blessed truth; and if I were to encourage you in
these "efforts," I should be fostering your self-righteousness
and your rejection of this grace of the vSpirit. ii. b.

There is less need for laborious explanation of profound
mysteries, then for simple explanation of plain truths. Many
men need onlv a simple latch key, to lift the latch and open
the door of faith, and such a key I hope God's infinate mercy
may put into your hands this morning. Our business is to
show that the gospel is intended for sinners, that it has an
eve to n/filty persons; that it is not sent into the world as a
,' ( ward for the good and for the excellent, or for those who
thinks they have any measure of fitness or preparation for
the divine favor; but that it is intended for law-breakers, for

THE SCRIPTURES.

of the
says, I
• epcnt:
me thy
I must
y g^rant
ce thou
ngment
e great
II. s.

the undeserving, for those who have gone astray, like lost
sheep, or left the fathers house like the prodigal. * *

Mercy implies sinfulness: there can he no mercy extended to
the just, for justice itself secures every good thing to them.
Grace too can onlv be for offenders. c. ii. s.

'*The wicked shall be turned into //e// and all the nations
that forget God." An awful truth this! but it is not one
whit more true than " That whosoever helieveth in Him,
shall not perish, but have eternal life.'''' "Whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." True! True!!
but no more so than: "But he that believeth not shall be
damned." Just as sure as there are sinners requiring to be
saved, just so sure there is a Saviour who saves to the utter-
most. This small cluster of truths must sink or swim or stand
or fall together. t. s. s.

Submit yourselves to the whole word of God, for it is
living and powerful. It will search your inmost soul, even
to the joints and marrow; habitually let it do so. Never be
afraid of your Bible. If their is a text in Scripture you dare
not meet, humble yourself till you can. If your creed and
Scripture do not agree, cut your creed to pieces, but make
it agree with this book. If there is anything in the church
to which you belong which is contrary to the inspired word,
leave that church immediately. c. h. s.

[rl

Men profess to be puzzled with this and that, when the
truth is that their hearts arc aleinated from God; when the
heart is right, and they are sincere inquirers, they will feel
that the plan of salvation by grace is most suitable, most
wise, and most acceptable. When God the Holy Spirit once
makes a man to feel himself to be a lost, undone, hell-deserv-
ing sinner, he seizes upon the gospel of free grace as a
hungry man at a loaf of bread. c. h. s.

GLEANINGS.

The reader k>iozvs^ I trust the Bible is God's inspired
word showing how hell may be avoided and heaven gained.

I am so glad that our Father in Heaven
Tells of His love in the Book He has given ;
Wonderful things in the Bible I see ;
This is the dearest, that Jesus loves me !

"It is my opinion," says another, "that we must just do
the best we can, and trust in the mercv^ of God." Of course
this is your opinion — but the action of God's Word is like
water to wash out our opinions. The first thing it tells me
about myself and about all of us is that we are lost, depraved,
guilty, condemned. w. p. m'k.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word !
What more can He say, than to you He hath said —
To you, who for refuge to Jesus have fled :

Look and Live.

Look and live. Complete healing came to the
Israelites from looking- to the serpent, infinite salvation will
come to you from looking to Christ. By this I mean that
look of faith which is the authority of Holy Writ, sees in
Christ on the Cross infinite satisfaction for all your sin —
instantaneous life for your soul. And now to make this
glorious truth clearer to you, I will state two things of great
importance: Why you should look, and how you should
look. First^ because in the death of Christ an infinite satis-

faction was made for

your

sins. * * * "The Lord hath

laid on Him the iniquity of us all." * * * He will, ac-
cording to His own word, accept this death as the full re-
mission of all your guilt, provided, only this day you thus
accept Him by faith.

Secondly^ hoxv you are to accept Him: by simple faith,
"For by grace are you saved through faith^'' nothing more.
Can you not therefore say : "O Lord, I do from my heart
believe Thou by this Thine awful death does save me from
death, and that Thy perfect righteousness is accepted by the
Father for me." m. s. b.

The Lord sent firey serpents among them, but it was
not the serpents being a?nong them that involved the lifting
up of a brazen serpent, it was the serpents having aetually
poisoned them which led to the provision of a remedy. "It
shall come to pass that every one that ts iitten, when he
looketh upon it, shall live." The only people who did look
and derive benefit from the wonderful cure, uplifted in the
midst of the camp, were those who had been stnng by the
vipers. The common notion is that salvation is for good

Mill

! i
i

GLEANINGS.

people, for those who fi^^ht against temptation, for the spirit-
ually healthy: but how different is Goers word. God's
medicine is for the sick, and his healin<^ is for the diseased.
I am sent to pre;ich Christ to those who are full of sin, and
worthy of eternal wrath. c. ii. s.

"Oh, if you could but see Him ! Come here ; turn not
away ; come here and look on Jesus. Would to (iod I had
power to unveil Him to you. You should sep: those eyes
that were once dim with tears ! you should see that brow
which was once red with blood ! you should see those hands
that were once clasped in prayer; once nailed to the cross.

1'. c. G.

He says, "It is well enough sir, to say, Look to Jesus ;
but suppose you cannot look? if your eyes are blind? What
then? O, my brother, turn your restless eyeballs to the cross,
and that light which gives light to them that see, shall give
eyesight to them that are blind. * * * If to-day thou
feelest thyself a lost, guilty sinner, all he asks is that thou
wouldst believe on Him; that is to say, trust Him, confide in
Him. Is it but little He asks ? "Look unto me and be ye
saved, all the ends of the earth," saith Christ, "for I am God,
and beside me there is none else." c. ii. s.

on|

You ask "will he heal me?" Look to Him! Look to
Him! The morning that I found Christ I did not think to
find Him. I went to hear the word as I have heard it be-
fore; but I did not hope to find Jesus there and then. Yet
I did find him, when I heard that there was nothing to be
done but simply to look to Jesus, and when the exhortation
came so sharp, shrill, and clear, "look! look! !".

There is life in a look at the Crucified one;
There is life at this inoinent for thee.

C. H. S.

LOOK AND LIVE

Peace is not to be (lcri\'c(l from looking within; it is
only to be found i)y looking unto Jesus, by thinking of what
lie has (lone and suffered for us, and not by anything that
we have done or suffered for Ilini.

"I.ook to Jcsiis, wc.irv one, look and live;
Look at what the I,oril hath tlotie. I.ook and li\e!
'I'hou^h iinworlhy, vile, imt'lean, look and live;
I.ooK AWAY IKO.M sEl.K AND SIN, look and live."

So long as you do not believe on Jesus you cannot have
that love to Ilim you ought. You must /rV-.v/ believe in His
love and death for you; and the moment you realize that the
mighty work has been finished, that justice has been satis-
fied, peace will fill your heart, and love will flow out and
over to Ilim who loved you, and gave Himself for you.

A. M.

"Oh, well! says one, "I will go home, and cry to God
for mercy." That is your thought. Listen to Gocfs
thoughts. "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call
ye upon Him while He is near." Bieath a prayer to him
now. Look to Jesus with the eye of faith at once! The
Lord helps you to do so. c. ii. s.

"■'

I have read of a painter who called his artist friends
around him to pronounce judgment upon a w'ork he had
just completed, and of which the Saviour was the principal
figure in the group "Tell me truly," said he, "what is the
best point in my picture?" "Oh, brother, it is all V)eautiful; but
that chancel — that is a gem!" With a sad heart the artist
dashed his brush over the toil of many a weary day and
turning to his friends, replied: "Oh, brothers, if there is any
thing in my painting more beautiful than the Master's face,
let it be gone!" So if, after the infinite toil of God with your
heart, there be anything left there more beautiful to you than
Christ, more sweet to you than Christ, more divine and more
dear to you than Christ, all heaven entreats you to blot it
out. J. s.

M. -

GLEANINGS.

If he had been bitten by the serpent and had refused to
look to the serpent of brass, and had ji^one to bed, no physi-
cian could help him. A pious mother mij^ht kneel down
and pray for him, but it would have been of no use. * * *
There is only one hope for his life — //f mus^ look at the ser-
pent of brass. It is just so with you, nothing avails unless
you yourselves believe in Jesus Christ. There is not be-
neath the copes of heaven, nor In heaven, anv hope for any
one of you unless you will believe in Jesus Christ. * * *
Now when a man was healed by looking at the serpent he
could not say that he healed himself, for he only looked, and
there is no virtue in a simple look. Where is the great credit
of simply believing the truth and humbly trusting Christ to

save youi

C. II. s.

If you had to go through hell to reach this glory, it
would be worth the cost! But you have not to do any such
thing; you have only to believe in Jesus, and even faith is
the Lord's own gracious gift. '•'•J^ook unto me and be ye
saved, all ye ends of the earth." This is the gospel: Look!
look! ! look! ! ! T'is but a look. Look, blear-eyed soul,
thou who canst scarce see for ignorance. Look, thou whose
eyes are swimming in tears! Look, thou who seeth hell be-
fore thee. Look, thou who art siidiing into the jaws of per-
dition. T'is ]esus on the cross ye are bidden to look at.

C. H. S.

It is of no use people saying that "No one can be saved
at once," for Scripture clearly show s that those mentioned
in the New Testement whenevp:r they believed were
saved. Some have supposed that conversion is a gradual
process, requiring much time and earnest prayer. How long
does it take you to "believe" what your father says.'' A mo-
ment. Another figure is employed — " looking." " Look
unto Me, and be ye saved." (Isaiah, XLV, 22). How long
did it take a bitten Israelite to be cured? The one moment
he was dying, the next, by simply looking at the brazen ser-
pent, he was completely healed.

LOOK AND LIVE.

The very mo/ncftt you " believe " in, or " look " to, Jesus
as the One who bled and suffered for you — you are saved.

"Tlicrc is life in ;i look at tlic crucified One,
Thcru is life at tliis moment for llifc."

A. M.

,f .

'!•

11'

An anxious soul once said to a servcnt of Christ, "Oh,
sir, I can^f believe.^'"' To which the preacher wisely and
(luietly replied, "Indeed, who is it that you can't believe?"
This broke the spell. He had been lookinj^ at faith as an
indescribable somethin«jj he must feel within himself in order
to be sure he was all ri<jht for heaven; whereas faith ever
looks outside to a livinj^ Person, and His finished work, and
quietly listens to the testimony of a faithfid God about both.

It is the outside look that brings the inside peace.

TRACT.

It does not fay I am to sec\ it only says, "Look." If
we look at a thing in the dark, wc cannot sec it; but we
have done what we were told to do. So if a sinner only
looks to Jesus, he will save him ; for Jesus in the dark is as
good as Jesus in the light. * * It is looking^ not seeing^
that saves the sinner. c. ii. s.

Do not look for comfort into the bk:ck and horrid abyss
of } our own nature, but look to him whom God has sent.
Get right away from what j'c// are to what lie is. * * If
you must despair, despair yourself into Christ. I mean by
that self-despair which is next of kin to humble faith in
Jesus, drop into his hand. Faint upon Christ's bosom and
lie there in happy helplessness. Alay the Lord disable you
for anything else, and lead you to believe in his atonement.

GLEANINGS.

i^i

Another begins to object and argue about it : "What-
ever difference can it make looking at it? If he is bitten,
he is bitten, and what his eyes happen to see cannot make
any difference to him. If he is to die, he must ; and if he is
to get better, he will. How can 'looking at' a brazen ser-
pent have anything to do with his getting well?"

"Why, man," we should reply, "don't play the fool like
that! If God has appointed this as the remedy, it shall not
fail. He can make a 'look' to cure us as easily as anything
else. If that is the condition of being healed, why, look and
livcP M. G. p.

You cannot believe in Christ except as you see Him,
and if you look at Him, you will learn. * * There is
nothing that so speedily kills all doubts as a look into the
loving eye of the bleeding, dying Lord,

It is only '■look.'' O mark how simple the way of
salvation is. It is '■lookf'' look!'' '•look.'"' Four letters,
and two of them the same.

Sinner! thou art bidden look ! It is noughi but " look. "
It is simply " look.'''' If thou canst but look to Jesus thou art
safe.

Do you see the man in the garden? Do you see that
man of the cross. c. ii. s.

" Believing is letting the hands lie still and turning the
eyes to Christ. We cannot be saved by our hands ; but we
are saved through our eyes when they look to Jesus. " r. b.

Reader, art thou born again ? There was a moment
that evcrv Israelite had between being bitten and dying ;
that moment was given him to look and live. That is thy
brief moment of life, hast thou looked and lived ? God can
do no more than He has done to provide life for thee. He
spared not His Son ! w. i'. m'k.

There is life for a look at the Crucified One,

There is life at this moment for thee ;
Then look, sinner, look unto Him and be saved,

Unto Him who was nailed to the tree.

Look ! look ! look and live !

There is life for a look at the Crucified One,
There is life at this moment for thee.

■Ma*

^Vhat-

>itten,

I make

he is

|i ser-

Jl like
|11 not

:hing
and

I'.

iim.

P^AIXH.

If any of you feel your unwoithiness, and mourn over it
and are kept back from Christ by the thought that you are
not Jit to be saved, will this humili*^y, this supposed humility,
save you? My hearers, no; except thou have faith in Christ,
and he wash you, thou hast no part in him. No repentance,
no remorse, no chastenin<j^s of thy spirit, no humblino;s of thy
soul, if they exist apart from a li\in<j^ faith in him, can
jyive thee any part in I Iim. O, that thou would'st give up
this ruinous humility and trust in Jesus to cleanse thee, for
unless thou dost, though thou humble thyself from morning
to morning and water the earth with thy tears, and make thy
bed swim with them, yet shall thou have no part in Christ.

c. ir. s.

Oh, what a gospel to preach! Christ over all in it. His
birth. His sufferings, II'i^ niiracles, I Us Parables, His sweat.
His tears, His blood. Hi- atontiisent. His intercession- — what
glorious themes! Do we exerci;;e faith? Ci •'st is its object.
Do we have love? it fastens on Jesus. Have we a fond-
ness for the church? It is because Christ died for it. Have
we a hope of heaven? \i is because Jesus went ahead, the
herald and the forerunner. r. w. t.

"Lord, make me to know mysc/f.'''' Lord, make me to
know IVicc. The place where you will lose self will be
where you find Christ. ?

Trust in Christ, not mere accent tc u |^: iUciple. Personal
dependence upon Him revealed as the T. .unb of God that

GLEANINGS.

taketh away the sin of the world, an act of the will as well
as of the luiderstanding — that is the thinj^ hy which a soul is
saved. And much of the mist and confusion ahout savinjj
faith and non-saving faith might be lifted and dispersed if
we once fully apprehended and firmly held by the Divine
simplicity of the truth, iliut faith is simply to trust in Jesus
Christ. * * We often hear belief in the Gospel of

Christ spoken about as if ?V, the v/ork of the man believing,
was, in a certain way and to some extent, that which God re-
warded by giving him salvation. What is this but the whole
doctrine of woiks come up again in anew form? What
difference is there betw^cen what a man does with his hands
and what a man feels \\\ his heart? If the one merits salva-
tion, or if the other merits salvation, equally, we are shut up
to this. Men get to heaven by what they do; and it does
not matter a bit what thev do it with, whether it be bodv or
soul. When we sa}' we are saved by faith, we mean accura-
tely through faith. It is God that saves. It is Christ's life,
Christ's blood, Christ's sacrifice, Christ's intercession that
saves. Faith is simply the channel through xvhich the bles-
sing flows. A. m'l.

I hear one exclaim, "He may well despise my prayers,
for my faith is so weak. If I had more faith, I think then
He would listen to me." Well, but the Lord has never said
anywhere that He despises little faith. Can you find a pas-
sage in scripture in wliich He says, " I will trample on the
bruised reed, and I will quench the smoking flax! " If you
have ever read a passage of scripture like that, I never have.

c. H. s.

wel

the
wii
vcl

nef

l.r.

It is only when we are /;/ Christy by faith, that obedi-
ence is possible, evangelical, hearty, steadfast, and pleasing in
the sight of heaven. The diseased and dying sinner must
lift and fasten his eye on Jesus Christ for healing and life ;
as the Israelite, bilten by the fiery flying serpent, must raise
and fix his eye'upon the Brazen Serpent. " He that hath
the Son^ hath life ; he that hath not the Son, hath not L'fp.
but the zurath of God abidcth on him.'''' w. s. m'.'C.

FAITH.

Faith in Christ is not different in nature from the faith
we exercise in each other every day. The difference lies in
the thing to be believed^ and all the difViciilty is in the un-
willingness of the human heart to take it in. Artless, total
reliance on what Jesus has done for your soul — nothing
more, nothing less, explains fully how you can be saved.

J. (i.

No man did ever believe in Jesus Christ for righteous-
ness, except the spirit of God led him to it. lie can never be
; iought to it, except the Holy Spirit shall lead him there.
Baith is as much the gift of God as Jesus Christ himself.
Nature never did produce a grain of saving faith and it never
will. c. ir. s.

\ 'lil

It is not faith, as a work or exercise of our minds, which
must be properly performed in order to qualify or fit us for
pardon. It is faith, simply as a receiver of the divine record
concerning the Son of God. It is not faith considered as the
source of holiness, as containing in itself the seed of all spirit-
ual excellence and good works; it is faith alone, recognizing
simpl}' the completeness of the great sacrifice for sin, and the
truencss of the Father's testimony to that completeness; as
Pavii writes to the Thcssalonians, " our testimony among you
w.vs b'./icvcd,'''* It is not faith as a piece of money or a thing
of \x\<:ot ^ but faith taking God at his word, and giving him
credit for -peaking the honest truth, when he declares that
"Christ died for the ungodly.'" u. b.

[!^

Again, I repeat, your eye of faith must now be directed
entirely, out of and from yourself, to Jesus, lieware of
lo ^king for any preparatic)n to meet death in yourself. It is
all in Christ. God does not accept you on the ground of a
br' ! en htart — or a clean heart — or a praying heart — or a
believing heart. He accepts you wholly and entirely on the
ground of the Atonement of His blessed Son. Cast your-
self, in childlike faith, upon that atonement — ' Christ dying

•Mi

GLEANINGS.

iox the ungodly'' (Rom. v. 6)— and you aresavel! Justifi-
cation is a poor, lavv-conclemned, self-condemned, self-des-
troyed sinner, wrappin<^ himself by faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ as his righteousness; 'for the righteousness of God is
unto all, and upon all them that believe.' w. r.

The faith th.'t bows at the feet of Jesus, and worships
him as divine, is t ■ fnitb, which saves. Men will not do this
till their eyes have i .pened. While they say, " we see"

their sin remains, and ;li' blindness too. Only he who can
say, " one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I
see," will worship Jesus with all his heart. c. ii. s.

" But I am not satisfied with ifiy faith^'' you say. No,
truly. Nor are you ever likely to be so. At least I should
hope not. If you wait for this before you take peace, you
will wait till life is done. It would appear that you want to
believe in yoitr ozvn faith^ in order to obtain rest to your soul.
The Bible does not say, " Being satisfied about our faith, we
have peace with God," but "Being justified by faith, we have
peace with (jod;" and between these two things there is a
wonderful difference. Satisfaction with Tesus and his work
not satisfaction with your own faith, is what God expects of
you. " I am satisfied with Christ," you say. Are you? Then
you are a believing man; and what more do you wish? Is
not satisfaction with Christ enough for you or for any sinner?

II. B.

It is, in fact, the universal creed of the natural heart.
Fallen human nature, when under terror, says. Get into a better
state by all means \feel better, pray better, do better ; read your
Bible more diligently; become holier and reform your life
and conduct, and God will have mercy upon you! But grace
in the believer says, '•^ Behold^ God is my salvation ! ''"' (Isa.
xii. 2).

FAITH

To give God some equivalent for Mis mercy, either in
the shape of an inward work of santification, or of an out-
ward work of reformation, "the natural man" can compre-
hend and approve of; but to be justified by faith alone, on
the ground of the finished work of Christ, irrespective of
both, is quite beyond his comprehension. w. r.

Faith will be staggered, even by loose stones in the way
if we look man-ward; but if we look (iod-ward, faith will
not be staggered by inaccessible mountains, stretching across
and obstructing, apparently, our onward progress. "Go for-
ward!" is the voice of heaven; and faith, obeying, finds the
mountains before it as flat as plains. i. h.

Faith, what is it? * * We may explain faith till no-
body understands it. I hope I shall not be guilty of that fault.
Faith is the simplest of all things, and perhaps because of its
simplicity it is the more difficult to explain. It is made up of
knowledge^ belief and trust. * * Our life is found in
" Looking unto Jesus," }iot in lookmg to our faith. * *
Endeavor especially to know the doctrine of the sacrifice of
Christ, for that is the centre of the target at which faith aims.
* * Get firmly to believe that " the blood of Christ, God's
dear Son, cleanseth us from all sin." * * Rest your hope
on the gracious gospel; trust your soul on the dying and liv-
ing Saviour; washed away your sin in the atoning blood;
accept his perfect righteousness, and all is well. Trust is the
very life-blood of faith; there is no saving faith without it.
Fall flat upon Christ, cast yourself upon him, rest on him,
commit vourself to him. That done vou have exercised sav-
ing faith. c. \\. s.

My fiiith looks up to Thee,

'riiou Lamb of Calvary, Saviour divine I

Now hear iiie while I pray :

Take all my guilt away ;

Oh, let me from this day be wholly Thine.

GLEANINGS

Faith is to be a child toward Christ, hclieving in Him
as a real and present person, at this very moment near us,
and ready to bless us. This may seem to some to be a
childish fancy, but it is such childishness we all must come
to if we would be happy in the Lord. " Except ye be con-
verted, and become as litte children ye shall not enter into
the kin<^dom of heaven." Faith takes Christ at his word, as
a child l)elieves his father, and trusts him in all simplicity
witb past, present, and future things. * * Faith which
receives Christ is as simple an act as when3()ur child receives
an apple from you, because you held it out and j^romises to
give it the apple if it comes for it. * * It is of faith that
it might be o:^ grace, and it is of grace that there may be no
boasting; for God cannot endure pride. * * * Theyf^ay
they want to b 'l-.-ve but ca}niot. A great deal of nonsense
is talked upon l!i!.- suhject. Let us be practical in our deal-
ing with it. The shortest way to believe is to believe. If
you really have a difficulty, take it before God in prayer.
Tell the great Father exactly what it is that puzzles you, and
beg him by his Holy vSpirit to solve the difficult question. *
You must rest upon his promise that he will do even as he
has said. * * I liclieve that never did a soul throw up his
hands in a sclf-dispair, and cry, " Lord, I veild '■ but what
faith become easy to it before long. It is because you still
have a quarrel with God, and intend to have your own will
and your own way, that therefore you cannot believe. Proud
self creates unbelief. Submit, O man. Yeild to your God,
and tben shall you sweetly believe in your Savioin\ c.ii.s.

Breder whattber de good God tells me to do in dis
blessed book, ( holding up the Bible) dat Fm gwing to do.
If I see in dat 1 must jumps trou a stone wall, I am gwing to
jumps at it. Going trou it belongs to God; jumping at it
belongs to me. Negko Minister.

He that has true faith has renounced his own reighteous-
ness. If thou puttest one atom of trust in thyself thou hast

FAITH.

no saving faith. If thou dost have a particle of reliance
upon any thing else but what Christ did, thou hast no faith.
If thou dost trust in any of thy works, then thy works are
antichrist, and Christ and antichrist can never go together.

Nothing in my himds I bring.
Simply to the cross of cling.

Faith transfers my attention from myself, wholly and
absolutely, and fixes my attention, trust, and reliance, abso-
lutelv, and exclusively on another, even Christ. Since God
accepts the atonement as a satisfactory reas-on why the law
which doomed me to die may, with safety and honor, concur
in the gift of eternal life to me, shall I reject it by unbelief,
or dishonor it by doubt .^ T. M.

According to the Bible, faith in general is defined as
"the substance of things hoped for, the evidences of things
not seen." In its simplest form it is the belief in the testi-
mony of another, and comes by the hearing. It is taking
God at His word. The faith, therefore, that saves, is no
ar])itrary requirement of God, to be first fulfilled as a condi-
tion entitling one to receive eternal life, but is itself the very
act of receiving the salvation of God as provided and given.
* * It is really drinking in the water of life, which, how-
ever freely it flows, can not otherwise quench the thirst.
Just as a gift can be accepted only through believing the
testimony of the giver when he declares tiiat he gives it.

AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY.

Faith saves us just as the mouth saves from hunger. If
we hunger, bread is the real cure for hunger, but still it
would be right to say that eating removes hunger, seeing
that the bread itself could not benefit us, unless the mouth
should eat it. Faith is the soul's mouth, whereby the hunger
of the heart is removed. Christ also in the brazen serpent
lifted up ; all the healing virtue is in him ; yet no healing
virtue comes out of the brazen serpent to any who will not

GLEANINGS.

look; so that the looking is rightly considered to be the act
that saves. True, in the deeper sense it is Christ uplifted
who saves, and to him be all the glorv. c. ii. s.

nil-:

By the grace of God the sinner can believe in Jesus,
this is ceasing from his own power and merit, and lea\ ing
himself in his Saviour's hands. Salvation by faith thus set
on open door before those whom the law shuts out; it is in
every way adapted to the case of the guilty and fallen, and
all such characters should hnslen to accept salvation thus pre-
sented to them. r. h. s.

I find that there are some who make this distinction be-
tween belief ^wiS. trusty namely: To believe \^ to give im-
plicate confidence in the verbal or zvritten promise of a
person, and trust to act in accordance with such promise. \
dare not assume to do more than name the fact inasmuch as
Paul told the jailer to believe^ and he was thereby saved. I
may however add that all who trust believe, but all who
believe do not necessarily trust.

A man is accidently left alone on an Island on which he
finds a boat, which he firmly believed would safely carry a
dozen men, would be of no use to him, unless he trusted
himself in it to leave the Island. t. s. s.

If thou dost cast thyself on Christ, sink or swim, throw-
ing everything away, even thine own prayers, and thine own
repentance — if thou dost come and rest on Vv^hat Christ is,
and what he has done, thou canst not perish. Look not
tvithin thee, there is nothing but blackness there, c. \\. s.

The act of faith, as we said at the beginning, is a very
simple one. It ought not to occasion any perplexity in the

FAITH

mind of an inquirer. But it may be, as we think it is, the
simplicity of the act that gives rise to the embarrassment.
Clear and strong minds, sharply discriminating, and viger-
ouslv grasping truth presente<l to them, find it exceedingly
difficult to understand the simple doctrine of an evangelical
faith. They do not underrate or distrust the ability and will-
ingness of Christ to save. They have accurate, sharply de-
fined, and comprehensive views of gospel truths. They are
tempted to doubt whether a saving interest in Christ is to be
secured by an act of faith so extremely simple. And so they
neither believe iti Christ nor in the act of faiih which unites
to Christ. But it is only when we come back into the sim-
plicity of childhood's confidence and trust, that we find the
deepest and truest meaning of faith. The Saviour himself
selected such an instance of simple trust as the best illustration
of Christian faith: "Whosoever shall not receive the king-
dom of Heaven as a little child, he shall not enter therein."

" I thought upon my sins, and I was satl ;
My soul was troubled sore and filled with pain :
Hut, then, I thought on Jesus and was glad ;
My heavy grief was turned to joy again, "

w. s. m'k.

Faith is confidence, reliance. Suppose I am hungry,
and a kind friend offers me something to eat. He says it is
bread, — but it is dar^', and I cannot see ; yet, if I begin at
once to eat it, this is failh. I trust in his word. Jesus came
into this world to die for sinners. He says, "Believe in me.
I have purchased a full pardon for you, and you may go free.
It cost my own blood to obtain it, but you are freely welcome
to it. If 30U will obey me, and trust in me, I will engage to
save you from death and hell: I am quite able to do this.
Here is bread to eat, which will make you live for ever, if
you eat it. Come unto me: believe in me, and you shall be
saved !" Faith is just trusting to what Jesus says. Faith is
simply coming to Jesus. He has died for thee. Believe it,
and take the benefit of his dying. n. h.

iff i

"Without faith it is impossible to please God.'' That is

!l!

GLEANINGS.

to say, do what you may, strive as earnestly as you can, live
as excellently as you please, make what sacrifices you choose,
be as eminent as you can for every thing that is lovely and
of j^ood repute, yet none of these thincjs can be pleasing to
God unless they be mixed with faith. c. h. s.

"Come unto /«^," the Saviour cries. Heed my words,
and " come unto Me. '' To Him the weary one has come.
"/ will give you rest," not my words of promise, but "I
will give." Not in the promise, but in Him who gives the
promise, has the soul found " rest. " w. s. m'k.

It is the way of our compassionate Lord not to quench
the smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed. If any of you
have only a little faith now, and that little, marred by ignor-
ance and prejudice, it may be like a connecting thread be-
tween you and Jesus, and the thread mav thicken to a cable

c. H. s.

Why do you wait, dear brother ?

Oh, why do you tarry so lonij r
Your Saviour is waiting to )jive you

A phicc in II is sanctified thronfj.

Why not ? Why not ? Why not come to Him now

What do you hope, dear brother,

To gain b}' further delay ?
There's no one to save you but Jesns ;

There's no other way but Ilis way.

Oftentimes there is a great deal more faith in a poor
sinner's heart th;in he thinks there is. He really is trusting
the Saviour, and does not know he is doing so. He is saved,
and yet he is afraid to think it can be possible. Long after
I knew the Saviour, and believed in him, I used, at times, to

FAITH.

n, live
• hoosc,
Jy and
ing to
I. s.

come.
)Ut ''I
's the

be staji^orerecl with the thoiij^ht that it was too <(ood to be
true. The tempter would say, " It cannot be that you really
are forj^iven, that you are Christ's own, that you are washed
in his blood and saved forever ! c. h. s.

Faith in Christ is to rest entirely upon the merits of
Christ's precious blood, and know that pardon has been
bestowed, because God has said, "He that believeth shall be
saved." No angel has come from heaven to tell him that
his sins have been blotted out; but lie rests upon a testimony
better than that of the angels in heaven, even the testimony
of God, "He that hath received his testimony hath set to his

co<il flT.if- C~irn] ic frii<a " on

seal that God is true.

R. B.

Do not suppose that by anything you can S7iffer^ or any-
thing you can do^ vou can bring God under a/iy obligation to
save you. Sinners sometimes persuade themselves that they are
doing all their duty, and that if they are not then saved, the
fault is in God, and not in themselves. * * He who enter-
tains such notions as these may be sure that the Spirit of God
has already almost deserted him. v. w.

He says, " Ye ?nust be born again;" and in the same
chaper it is written, " As Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that
whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have
eternal life." — What God demands, God provides.

W. P. M K.

,,\\

ill

If you truly believe in Jesus, it is for life. Saving faith
is a life long act. It is the entire relinquishment of all
trust in self, once for all, and the trusting in Jesus forever.
He is and ever shall be our confidence. That is the faith
that saves; but the temporary faith which comes and goes, is
nothing worth. c. h. s.

I' 1

GLEANINGS.

Faith cannot be obtained by readinpf books npon it. In
short it cannot be ^rot up. Is the story truer is the only
question for you to settle. If it is true ant! the salvation of
your soul depends in the recejjtion of such truth, why hesi-
tate? Christ and Him crucified, puie and simple. j. (;.

I hope you are enquiring — Lord what wouldest thou
have mc to do? Do you know why that question is put to
you? It is to prove you, and to humble you. It is ment to
make you feel the impossibility of salvation by your own
works, that you may submit yourself to the righteousness of
God, and be saved by faith in Christ Tesus. c. n. s.

"Faith is not what we /iv/ i)r sfe ;
It is a simple trust
In what the God of love lias said
Of Jesus as 'the Just'."

It looks not on the things around,
Nor on the thinjfs -vithitt :
It takes its (light to scenes above,
lli'yonii t/ii' x/^/ifft's of si)i.

Oh, my heaven ! beware of that faith which is a mere
intellectual movement which does not control the heart and
the life. To come to faith through a cold argument, and to
feel no spiritual life, is a poor business. You want a faith
that leads you to an entire reliance upon the person of Jesus,
to the giving up of every thing to Him, to the reception of
Him as your Savioin- and King, your all in all. " You have
not believed unto eternal life unless you have so believed on
Him that you make Him the foundation and corner-stone
of your hope? You must believe in him as taking away sin.

C • Ha Sc

" I do not feel my sins forgiven, and am not sure I am
saved. Many say they know the time when they found sal-

FAITH.

vation, and that they have an inward witness that all is rip^ht
with thein. They have found peace; but I have not. lam
full of doubts and fears, have no faith, and therefore fear Je-
sus will never receixe me." My friend, you confound two
things which greatly differ,— faith and assurance. Vou have
been speaking of assura/icc, not of faith. It is very delight-
ful to feel sure of pardon and hea\en; but it is quite possible
not to feel this, and yet possess faith. Faith is coming to
Jesus as a poor sinner, and trusting to Him alone for salva-
tion. Assurance is feeling certain we arc saved. They are
(juite different things. Faith is necessary for salvation, but
assurance is not. Many people possess an assurance which
is false, while they are destitute of faith; and many also have
true faith, but do not enjoy assurance. n. h.

ls\

The inquirer feels and declares, that he cannot exercise
true and saving faith. Let it be candidly granted. Nay, let
him be frankly told, that by no self-sprung impulse of his
heart, by no self-originated volition of his will, can he put
forth that act of faith, which brings Christ and the soul into
a living and saving union. w. s. m'k.

;i;

Then you fancy, do you, that if you had less sin you
would believe? Nay; I tell you it is not so. If your sense of
sin be a hinderance to faith, your sense of righteousness
would be a much greater barrier. To believe that I shall be
saved because I am not a sinner, is not faith; but to know
that I am a very bad one, and notwithstanding place my
trust in Jesus — this is faith real saving faith. c. h. s.

A great many questions are asked about what faith is,
and there are large books written about it. If you want to
study the philosophy of faith till you are bewildered, read a
book about faith; but if you really would know its latent
power and potent charm, put now your trust in Christ, and

'M^

GLEANINGS.

you have got all the faith that is wanted, and that to in vital
energy. ' c. ii. s.

" I cannot get faith, although I have read all the books
in the house upon the subject. I do what Christians do, and
am not one." The Bible, which you profess to believe,
states distinctly that Christ died J'orymf, you he'ing ii ^^s'lnner,'*''
this is i/ie truth you are to believe. In order to have faith
in Christ, you must know the truth abo/i* Hint, as that truth
is recorded in His ow i word. Faith cannot be " got up."
Search the Scripture seriously and calmly, and the truth will
steal, as it were, into your heart, without any effort on your
part to lielieve, or any mysterous, arbituaiy act on God's part.

J. G.

To symbolize tne act of savi/ijy faith^ many indeed are
the illustrations given, all of which in some essential point
are defective, in conveying the spiritual truth inspiration evi-
dently designed to convey by the word faith. Assuming
that some illustration is needed, I beg to submit the follow-
ing: — Suppose a kind father was to place himself in a deep
dark cellar just under the trap-door leading to it, and his wife
should request their six year old daughter to jump down
through the trap-door into the cellar, assuring her that her
father was in the cellar, and would assuredly catch her in his
arms, inasmuch as he could see her notwithstanding she
could not see him. Having inW faith in her mother's words,
she makes the jump, and is safely caught in the arms of her
father; and for which simple act of faith the love of her pa-
rents is intensified. The sinner is entreated by Christ to come
(jump) ///tto me\ and xvhosocvcr comet h (jumpeth) unto me.,
T will ill no zcise (fail to catch) cast out. v. s. s.

Well, my friend, the work of man's salvation was
finished on the cross. This we are called upon to believe as
a completed fact. Our faith does not make the fact, but
rests upon it as established by God's word. The work was

FAITH.

done before the faith existed, and was wholly indcpendenent
of it. Yet unless I believe in that linislied work I cannot be
saved by it, but am still under condemnation. "lie that bc-
lieveth not, is condemned already." Thus the work of
Christ on the cross, eighteen hundred years ago, and my
personal interest in it are two different things. u. h.

If you are not already saved, dear reader, you don't be-
lieve on Jesus in any tvay. Scripture does not recognize two
ways of believing — a "right" and a "wrong" way. Men may
speak about a "living faith" and a "dead faith," a "saving
faith" and an "intellectual faith," but Scripture speaks of
believing what Goil says. Faiih in man and faith in God
are the same exercises of mind; the difference is not in the
faith, but /// the persons on whom the faith rests. Those who
are lost, perish through believing the devil's lie, and those
who are saved are delivered throii<rh believing God's truth.

A. M.

'f' i

evi-

It is frecpiently intimated, and sometimes distinctly af-
firmed, that faith in Christ, the faith which brings rest to the
weary soul, is just as possible, and just as easy, as the belief
of any historical statement, or of any common event occurr-
ing within the range of personal observation. This view of
the case is unsound and mischievous. It is true, that the faith
essential to salvation is exceetlingly simple, but not as easy as
it is simple. It implies more than mere credence. But we
must not anticipate a point in reserve, and lose sight of the
one with which we are now concerned. There is, in the
natural man, an hiahnity for true faith in Chiist; an inability
that can be overcome only by the grace of God. That truth
may be an unwelcome one to many: we are not ignorant of
the arguirents urged to overthrow it; but we must stand by
that truth, not merely for its own sake, but also for the sake
of those whom we would have brought out into the freedom
of the gospel. There are some truths of our religion which
we may, without detriment to the salvation of men, with-
hold: but that in question is not one of liiem. Nothing is

(CLEANINGS,

gained by any attempt to suppress, or to modify, the sad fact
of the sinner's helpless condition. Reveal it to him, and cast
him upon the sovereign and sufficient grace of God.

w. s, M K.

Now I come to the point. I have looked at what you
would like salvation to be^ and 1 have tokl what it really is.
I will ask you this question — l^o what do vou oh hi it y
Do you object to being saved simply by faith, becai.se it ap-
pears to you to be too mysteiious? Mysterious! It is the very
essence of symplicity. You make it mysterious by refusing to
understand it, and not believing it to be plain. "Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." To believe
is to trust, and whosoever trusts to the atoning blood is saved.
Where, where is the mystry? c. h. s.

It is not faith you want, in the first place, but trntli
You want an object for your mind to rest upon. Ii is not so
much hozv to believe, as ivhat to believe. Those for whom
Christ died are described as ivithoid strength., ungodly., sin-
Arc you of this class.'' j. g.

ners^ enemies

You believe the boat will soon take you safe to shore.
You enter it. But when the huge waves toss it up ;»nd down,
and seem about to overwhelm it, you are afraid, ind perhaj^s
do not lose your fear till you reach the shore. Getting into
the boat was faith, — being afraid while in it was the want of
assurance. But, though frightened, you were as safe as the
rowers who had no fears. Your terror did not endanger
your safety., though it destroyed your peace. We are in a
storm. Our sins have raised up the winds and waves of Di-
vine justice. The law thunders its curses against us. Hell
yawns below. Jesus is like the life-boat. He comes out to
us, and invites us to forsake all our own refuges, which are
as frail as a sinking wreck, and to cast ourselves on Him.
Trusting in Him alone is faith. When you think of your
sins and infirmities you may be full of doubts and fears, and

ad fact
k1 cast

m'k.

FAITH

often think you are not safe. Take encouragement, then,
trembling believer! Do you feel yourself lost without Jesus?
aiul is it your earnest prayer, "Save, Lord, or I perish?" Then,
whatever your gloomy doubts, you do possess faith^ saving
faith, — that faith of which St. Paul spoke when he said, "Be-
lieve in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved."
None can perish who thus come to Jesus. n. h.

'u:-:

We now proceed to explain, as far as explanation is
practicable, the act or exercise of faith. What does that act
iiivolve? It is simple eno"gh to the true believer. Not so to
a blind inquirer. We are required to explain a matter so
simple and obviuos that an attempt in the way of exposition
is more likely to lead to deeper obscurity than to greater dis-
tinctness. It is like some of those axiomatic principles in
philosophv which you cannot simplify by explaining your
phraseology But we must aim to satisfy the demand of a
perplexed inquirer, even at the risk of merely treacling in a
circle. w. s. m'k.

It is not a question of the amount of your faith, but of
the triistivorthiness of the person you repose your confi-
dence in. One man takes hold of Christ, as it were, with a
drowning man's grip. Another but touches the hem of His
garment; but the sinner who does the former is not a bit
safer than the one who does the latter. They have both
made the saine discovery; viz., that while all of self is totally
untrustworthy they may safely confide in Christy calmly rely
on His atonement. tract.

.ii

The words "■'"faith^" ^'- trust '''' a»vd - 6e/iez'e,''' occupv
such a prominent place in God's word, and are so intimately
connected with man's salvation, that it is more a matter for
rejoicing than surprise that reference is so often made to them
by religious teachers. Earth is ransacked in order to find apt
illustrations to impress these truths on the mind. Some of
them, however, are very defective. It is often urged: "Take

GLEANINGS

Christ at His word, as did the man with the withered arm."
" For," say they, " he did not stop to reason as to his ability
&c." It must be borne in mind the dead Lazarus came forth
at the command of the same voice, and the blind man did
)iot knoxv for days after his eyes were opened who had done
it.

Again it is asked : " Suppose a relative, in whom you
had full confidence informed you by letter that by the death
of a relative you had been left a lej^acy of $5,000, would you
not at once believe it?" It should be borne in mind that
such an illustration of faith is defective, inasmuch as the
$5,000 wo?/ /(/ come all the same "whether he believed it or ?iot.
If any man will do His will, he shall k/iozc of the doctrine
whether it be of God. (John vii. 17). For this is the love
of God that ye keep His commandments, (i John v. 3)
Mark, mail's will to will to do God''s will. t. s. s.

h;
J"

I am sometimes confronted with this statement — that
faith is the j^ift of God, and is wrought in man by the power
of the Spirit of God, and therefore I have no business to
command and entreat men to believe. I am not slow to an-
swer my opposers; for in my inmost soul I know that saving
faith always is the gift of God, and, is in every case, the
work of the Holy Spirit; but I am not yet an idiot, and,
therefore, I also know that faith is the act of man. The
Holy Ghost does not belie\ e for us. What has He to believe?
The Holy Ghost does not repent for us. What has He to
repent of? You must yourself believe, and it must be your
own personal act, or you will never be saved! I charge you
before God, do not let the grand truth that faith is the gift
of God ever lead you to forget that you never will be saved
except you personally believe in Jesus for yourself, c. 11. s.

Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God. These things are written that ye might believe that

FAITH.

ability

forth

n did

I done

you

that

tlie

Jesus Christ is the Son of God; and that believing ye might
have life through His name. (Ileb. xi. 6-i.Rom. x. 17.
John XX. 31). God's Word.

A great many questions arc asked about what faith is,
and there are large books written about it. If you want to
study the phihjsophv of faith till vou are bewildered, read a
l)ook about faith; but if \ou rcal'y would know its latent
power and its potent charm, put now your trust in Christy
and you have got all the faith that is wanted, and that too in
vital energy. Some say that faith is to belie\e that Christ
(lied for me. Then some persons tell us that "He died for
everybody; consecjuently He must have died for me." I do
not see anvthing of a saving character in that belief at all.
Properly, faith is a belief of (Jod — what God saith and what
God 2:)romises. * * It is trust, and whosoever trusteth
Christ is saved. c. ti. s.

The more frequently we sec any object the /ess it effects
us; while the more frequently we think upon an object, by
faith the more we feel its power. T. s. s.

For instance, as to the divine salvation, our eyes must be
opened. Hagar's case was a strange one. Picture it. She
is thirsty, and her boy is dying: her instincts are quickened
by her love to her child, and yet she cannot see a well of
water. There it is! Close to her! Do you not see it? Just
there. She cannot see it till her eyes are opened. It is as
plain as a pikestaff, but she docs not perceive it. Now, this
is a graphic representation of the position of many a seeking
sinner. There is the way of salvation, and if there is any-
thing plain in the world, it is that road of life. The fact that
twice two makefoin- is not plainer than — believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Look imlo the Son of
God and live; what can be more simple? And yet nobody
did understand the doctrine of " believe and live." till God

.|i

GLEANINGS

opened his eyes. The well is there, but the thirsty soul
cannot see it. Christ is there, but the sinner cannot see Him.
There is a fountain filled with blood, but he does not know
how to wash in it. There stand the words, •' Believe and
live," simple words that need no explanation, legible by their
own light, and so plain that a wayfaring man, though a fool,
may comprehend them; yet, till the eternal light flashes upon
the darkened eyeballs of the sinner, he cannot, and will not,
perceive the self-evident truth. c. h. s.

fN '^'^.

I 4*

You may be melted bj- religious excitement, and half
the emotion may be purely physical, and there may be noth-
ing of the grace of God in it. The wiser way is calmly to
sit down and say, " Here is God's way of salvation — salvation
through His crucified Son, Jesus Christ, and He has promis-
ed that if I frf/st His Son, he will save me from sinning, and
make a new man of me, and heal me of my spiritual diseases.
I will trust Him, for I am sure that the witness of God is
true." By that simple and deliberate act of faith you are
saved. c. ii. s.

" Oh, if 1 were only sure that I am one of God's child-
ren, I could believe." " Believe what? " incjuircd her pas-
tor. She did not seem to catch the meaning of the question,
and looked perplexed. " You would believe," said the minis-
ter, " that your sins are forgiven, and that you are a child of
God. Thousands believe all that, who are deceived, and are
being deluded down to ruin by such a belief. That is
not what I counselled vou to believe. Have I not
urged you, over and over again, fo believe on the Lord

yesus C/in'st ? And yet " At this point she suddenly

interrupted him with the words, '''•believe iv hat ('"''' and at that
very moment her face seemed to beam with a r upernatural
brightness, as she exclaimed, " Oh! I see. Whrt a foolish
mistake I have been making. On Christ! jj'^j, jj'^j, on
Christ!" w. s. m'k.

FAITH.

What is more, my witness is that whenever I have high
spiritual enjoyments, enjoyments rich, rare, celestial, they are
always connected with Jesus only. * * The sublimest, and
most inebriating, the most divine of all joys, must be found
in Jesus only. In fine, I find if I want to labor much, I must
trust Jesus only; if I desire to suffer patiently, I must feed on
Jesus only; if I wish to wrestle with God successfully, I
must plead Jesus only; if I aspire to conquer sin, I must use
the blood of Jesus only. c. it. s.

Ii-

ll-ii

III

i^^^i

IKi!

Trust.

}fi

They persist in doitig instead of trustutg artlessly to
what has been already done. Thus " they are ever learing,
but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. " " They
have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, for,
being ignorant of God's righteousness, they going about to
establish their own righteousness, have not submitted them-
selves to the righteousness of God. " Nothing.^ absolutely
nothing but resting upon Christ, can give genuine, perma-
nent, scriptural abiding peace. j. g.

Christ wants to save sinners. He wants to save you.
That is the very business on which He came down from
heaven. That is why he died : and if He gives such great
and swift salvation to the poor thief on the cross, surely He
will give you the same deliverance, if, like him, you repent
and confess and trust in the Saviour. d. l. m.

To close vvilh Christ, therefore, is in the heart to agree
to these terms, and to accept Christ's offer of salvation in the
way He has Himself laid down. Or, in other words, it is
not a mere assent with the understanding, but it is a full and
unreserved agreement of the heart to these terms. This is
an act of trust or faith.^ by which the soul closes with Christ,
and thus united to Him. This act embraces a positive, per-
sonal transaction with and acceptance of Christ as a personal,
living, life-giving Saviour. r. p.

TRUST,

If, however, your distrust of the Holy Spirit be otic of
vour worst sijis, how absurd it is to say, I am not entitled to
trust him till I am converted ! For is not that just saying, I
am not entitled to trust him till I trust him r u. n.

When John Hyatt lay a dying, one of his friends said,
" Mr. Hyatt can you h-zfsi vour soul with Jesus now ? "
" Man " said he, " frf/st him with one soul ? That is nothing.
I could irusi him with a million souls, if I had them." I
want you to begin then, as those poor lepers did, by just
taking Christ at his word, and going on your way in the
strength of that word before you feel any hopeful change
within. c. ii. s.

Behold now, we have heard that the Kings of the house
of Israel are merciful Kings; let us, I pray thee, put sack-
cloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to
the king of Israel: peradventure he will save th}- life, i
Kings xx, 31.

O, my dear friend, if you frusf Jesus in the dark, you
shall one day enter into the light, and if you never should
enjoy comfort you would still be safe, if all the way between
this place and heaven, you should never have a consciousness
of being saved, yei if you have trusted Christ, you must and
shall be saved, for he cannot oossiblv allow faith in him to
be exercised in vain. c. \\. s.

I answer, never stick at that. It is most bravely done
to trust God with thy soul in the dark; and to resolve to serve
(lod for nothing rather than give out. Not to see, and yet to
believe; to be a follower of the Lamb, and yet to be atu ncer-
tainty what we shall have at last, argues love, fear, faith and
an honest mind, and gives the greatest sign of one that hath
true sincerity in the soul. It was this that made Job and
Peter so famous, and the want of it that which took away
much of the glory of the faith of Thomas. j. 11.

GLEANINGS,

If by any mere volition of the will, a change of heart
could be wrought, the effort would be indefinitely postponed
to "a more convenient season," or to the hour of death. If
this change could be purchased by self-denials, and painful
(supposed) duties, \\\\^ price would be readily paid, ignoring
God's word which states most distinctly that " the gift of
God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord ;" and
consequently not purchascable. When those who make
these abortive attempts became thoroughly convinced that
they cannot accomplish their object by any such methods
they reluctantly abandon them, in order to accept salvation
as a gift\ but, unconsciously now bring as a price the
abandonment of their former methods. But, inasmuch as
this also fails, like a drowing man, they throw up their arms
in despair, and in real earnestness cry, " Lord, have mercy on
me ! " Their hands now for the first time being empty the

gift is bestowed.

T. s. s.

I am happy when a man, however ignorant of the way
of salvation, nevertheless resolves, " I will be saved if salva-
tion is obtainable; — whatever is to be suffered, whatever is
to be given up, whatever is to be done, if there be any way
of salvation procurable bj any means, I will have it. " * *
It is a hopeful sign, a gracious token, when there is a deter-
mination wrought in men that, if they can be saved, saved
they ivill be. c. h. s.

As the promise upon which strong faith leans is not a
variable quantity, but is always the same, so its rest is the
same. Our faithful God will save all those who put their
trtist in him ; and there is the top and bottom of it, we need
go no further. Poor weak faith is always looking out to see
whether the wind is in the east, and if so, down she goes.

C. H. S.

YVust the promise that he makes to every believer, that
He will save him, and hold thou to it, for it is not a vain

TRUST.

thing, is thy life. " But what if I obtain no joy or peace ? "
lielieve the promise still, and joy and peace will come. " But
what if I see Jio signs ? " Ask for no signs, be willing to
trust God's word without any guarantee, and thou will thus
give him glory. " lilessed are they that have not seen, and
vet have believed. " Sinners, I have set before you the way
of salvation as simply as I can, will you have it o; not ?

c. H. s.

Do not say, I am not entitled to trust Him, till I am
converted. You are to trust Him as a sinner^ not as a con-
verted man. You are to trust Him as you are^ not as you
hope to be made ere long. Your conversion is not your
warrant for trusting him. The great sin of an unconverted
man is his not trusting the God that made him ; Father, Son,
.uul Spirit ; and how can anyone be so foolish^ not to say
wicked^ as to ask for a warrant for forsaking sin ? H. b.

To believe on the Lord ycsus Christ unto salvation^ is
to commit^ ivith conjidence and trusty our souls zciih all their
sinfulness and guilt into His hands. We conjidc to Him
our souls for salvation, and we trust Him to do that for us
which He has engaged Himself to do, — to pardon our sins,
to cleanse our hearts, to keep us from falling, and finally to
bring us to Heaven. The central and essential elements of
faith in Christ, are conjidence and trust. '• I kno-x' whom I
have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep
thai; which I have committed to Him." w. s. m'k.

tfl

The Lord is strong to save us,
He is a faithful Friend:

Trust on ! trust on I believer,
Oh, trust Him to the end !

Unijblikf.

This earth does not appear \.o he rouiul ; but yet it is.
It does not appear to move; hut yet it docs. The sun does
not appear to he as huge as this earth ; but yet it is more
than one milHon times hu-ger. The sun appears to move
around tlie earth, but yet it does not. All these facts are
contrary to our common sense of si<^ht and feeling; but yet
we believe them implicilty on the testimony of a fellow
creature who could not make a spear of grass, or a grain of
sand, or "one hair of his head, white or black." And shall
we hesitate to believe Ilim who called into existence bv His
Almighty fiat millions of worlds out of nothing I t. s. s.

God has commanded sinners to believe, but he has not
prescribed for them any preparatory process, the undergoing
of which will induce him to oive them so)iiethifi<>' zvhich he
is not from the first most iviiruig to do. It is thus that he
shuts them up to faith, by "concluding them in unbelief."
It is thus that he brings them to feel both the greatness and
the guilt of their inability; and so constrains them to give up
every hope of doing any thing to save themselves ; — driving
them out of every refuge of lies, and shewing th(
these prolonged efforts of theirs are hindrances,
and are just so many rejections of his own immedi:
so many distrustful attempts to persuade him to d(
is already most willing to do in their behalf.

n t

)S,

.ip,-

hat h

Ji. B.

'■'' Give your heart to Christ^'' is rather lavj than gospel.
It is most proper that it should be done, for God Himself

UNBELIEF.

(Icinands it ; but merely urging the doing of it is far short of
the gospel. The true gospel is, Accept the free gift of
salvation from wrath and sin by receiving the Lord Jesus
Himself, and all the benefits He purchased with His own
iti.ooi), and your heart will be His in a moment, being given
to Him, not as a matter of la-u.\ but of love; for if you have
the love of I/is heart poured into yours by His blessed
Spirit, you will feel vourself under the constraining influence
of a spontaneous spiritual impulse to give Him in return your
heart. w. r.

Those who have as much breath in them as to reason
about the matter are not wholly dead. The rich man thinks
that, if he were poor, he might have time to think of religion.
The poor man, if he could get ends to meet, and had a little
more money, would have more leisure to think of God. But
the difficulty is not so much in what is around us, as in
what is ivithin us. w. p. m'k.

Will you feed your unbelief on the joy of the Lord ?
What strange perversity! "Why" you say, "must I not be
happy before I can believe in Christ?" What? what? Must
you needs have the joy before you exercise the faith? How
unreasonable! Because we tell you that such and such a root
produces a sweet fruit; will you say that you must have the
fruit before you will accept the root? Surely that is bad rea-
soning. W^e who have experienced this joy came to Christ
in order to obtain it, and did not wait until we found it,
or else we would have waited until now. We came to
Jesus just as we were. c. h. s.

Though conducted through protracted and painful expe-
rience, some inquirers fail to find the rest they are seeking.
They Know, and they believe^ too, that the promises of God
in the Gospel of his Son, are true and sure; that those prom-
ises are adapted to all others, as well as to those who rely
upon them, and derive therefrom great delight. But those

: I

GLEANINGS,

•:

promises, though understood and believed, bring no rest to
}/i(u'r weary souls. Why is this? Does any one make answer,
it is because of unbelief? We reply, fAcv do believe the promi-
ses. But belief in the promises of God, is not the first and
principal demand that should be urged upon an inquirer.
When the inquirer has passed from darkness into light; from
the bondage of doubt and fear, into trust and assurance, —
then, his belief in the promises of God will yield comfort,
peace, and joy.

A solution of this difficulty may often be found in the
fact, that the inquirer is troubled, not so much with unbelief,
as he is with misbelief. w. s. m'k.

"I heard ♦he glad g'ospcl of jrood will to men;
I read wlwsoi-ver !ig;ain and ajcaiii;
I said to my soul, 'can that promise he miner'
And men hegan liopiiit;' that Jesus was mine.
On his word I am resting — assurance divine.
I'm 'hoping' no longer — I kiiov He is mine."

I am forced to the painful conclusion that, as a rule, where
assurance is wanting and consequently, "love, joy, peace"
&c., it is because simply confidence in Christ is wanting. It
is decidedly safest therefore to assume that all who do not
know they are saved, are not. j. o.

When poor souls are coming to Christ they are generally
themselves their own worst enemies. They have a singular
ingenuity in finding out reasons why they should not be saved,
they ransack heaven and earth and hell to find out discour-
agements. They become inventors of difficulties where
difiiculties do not exist. c. ir. s.

■ I

■

Yes; but though the gate be a straight one, it is open.,
and not shut, and the striving is )iot ivith the keeper of the
gate, but with your (' rev/ evil hearts of /nibelieJ\\.\vK\i struggles

UNBELIEF.

hard to prevent you from going in. The door is straight, but
\t\s~ vide enough to let the sinner through, if he will not attempt
to carry any of his idols in with him. He would fain make
a cfjmpromisc by giving up first one sin and then another;
but, until he is willing to part with a/l his sins, he cannot
enter. Perhaps the very last thing that he is willing to part
with before entering is his own righteousness; he would fain
enter with some solitary rag of his own to cover him, but it
is impossible: no wonder, then, that it is called a ^^ straight
gatc^'' for it is too straight for that. james g.

There are a great many who say, " Oh, I do not believe
it, I shall not bother my head aliout it." VV^ell, you are
warned! remember that. There is a way of salvation by
Jesus Christ, the incarnate God, and we implore you to ac-
cept it; if you do not, this rock of unljelief will be your eter-
nal shipwreck. c. ii. s.

You speak of this inability to believe, as if it were some
unprovided for difficulty; and as if the discovery of it had
sorely cast you down. You would not have so desponded
had you found that you could believe of youiself, without
the Spirit; and it would greatly relieve you to be told that
you could dispense with the Spirit's help in this matter. If
thii would relieve you, it is plain \.\\:\tyou have )io conjidcuce
ill the Spirit ; and you wish to have the power in your own
hands, because you believe your own willingness to be much
greater than His. ii. h.

" Ah, " aaith another, but I want to read my title clear,
I want to kiioiv that I have an interest in Christ." You will
best read your interest in Christ, by looking at him. If 1
want to knozv whether a certain estate is mine, do I
look into my own heart to see if I have a right to it ?
but I look into the archives of the estate, 1 search testa-
ments and covenants. Now, Christ Jesus is God's
covenant with the people, a leader and commander of
the people. To-day, I personally can read my title clear to

GLEANINGS.

heaven, and shall I tell you how I read it ? Not because I
feel all I wish to feel, nor because I am what I hope I yet
shall be, but I read in the word that " yesus Christ came
into the ivorld to save sinners^ " I am a sinner, even the
devil cannot tell me I am not. O, precious .Saviour, then
thou hast come to save such as I am. c. ii. s.

But the central, and grand object of faith, — of a faith
that leads ioji/stijicatiojt^ — the point that first must be gained
is not contemplated, sought and embraced. They do not
believe on the Lord jfcs/ts Christ. Here is their mistake,
and the root of their difticulty. Christ is not before the
mental vision. lie does not come within the gaze and grasp
of faith. We have denominated their mistake, misbelief.

w. s. m'k.

If you object that you cannot believe^ then this indicates
that you are proceeding quite in a wrong direction. You
are still labouring under the idea tlTat this believing is a ivork
to be done by you, and not the acknowledgment of a work
done by another. You would fain do something in order to
get peace, and you think that if you could only do this great
thing, " believing " — if you could but perform this great act
called faith — God would at once reward you by giving you
peace. Thus faith is reckoned by you to be the price in the
sinner's hand by which he buys peace, and not the mere hold-
ing out of the hand to get a jDcace which has already been
made by another- So long as you are attaching any meritor-
ious importance to faith, however unconsciously, you are
moving in a wrong direction — a direction from which ro
peace can come. Surely faith is not a ivork. On the con-
trary, it is a ceasing from work. w. u.

*» ;

It is of the utmost importance to understand thoroughly
the native of our lost state, in order to see what it is to be
saved, and hoiv to be saved. Unbelief of this truth is at the
root of all the "doing" system. j. g.

UNBELIEF.

If your heart would speak out, it would say, "Well, after
all, I camiot^ and God xuill not. I am doing all I can to be-
lieve, but the Spirit will not help me." And what is this
but saying-, "I have a hard-hearted God to deal with, who
will not help or pity me ?" Whatever your rebellious heart
may say, Christ's words are true, "Ye will not." What
he spoke, when weeping over impenitent Jerusalem, he
speaks to you, "7 ivonld hwt yc ivould iiof'' (Matt, xxiii. 37).
"They are fearful words," writes Dr. Owen, " '•yc xvould }iot ."
Whatever is pretended, it is iv'ill and stnbbonnicss that lie at
the bottom of this refusal." He who says, I "cannot" love
God, is proclaiming himself one of the worst of sinners ; but
he who says, I "cannot" even believe, is taking to himself a
guilt which we may truly call the darkest and most damn-
able of all. If. H.

In going to (lod at first, are you to take for granted his
ivilling)icss or his ii)i-viUi)igticss to bless ? Most seem to
do the latter. Nay, they defend themselves by saying that
if they knew they were converted they would take his
ici/h'i/gncss for granted, but not being sure of this they dare
not do so ! As if the gospel were not the revelation of his
willinsfuess to receive si?mi'rs as siic/i. 11. 15.

itEl

■

I n

Belief.

You may believe that Christ when on earth performed
many astonishing miracles, and set us a faultless example ;
but your soul is not thereby saved. You may believe that
Christ was crucified, rose from the dead, and ascended up in-
to heaven, and is now seated at the right hand of God. All
these arc glorious Bible-truths, and it is well indeed to be-
lieve them; but the soul is not saved by the mere believing
of them. 7Vic (not a) work Christ came to earth to
accomplish, and on the cross pronounced '•'•Jinished^'' was the
atonement made for our souls by the shedding of His most
■precious blood. This is not merely a doctrine of the bible,
but most emphatically the doctrine of the bible, binding all
other doctrines together. Over this doctrine think and pray,
imderstand it thoroughly, believe in it implicitly, and rest on
it wholly, and then, on the authority of God's own word,
'•'• shall be saved.'''' This is '•'• bel levin p" on Christ as the
scripture hath saidP You surely do not fail to see that if
your hope is built on anything other than the finished work
of Christ as your substitute and Redeemer, you actually
ignore and treat the sufferings., death and resurrection of
the Lord yesus Christ as a ivork of supererogation !''''

T. s. s.

Begone, unbelief, my Saviour is near,
And for my relief will surely appear;

By praj'r let nic wrestle and He will perform,
With Christ in the vessel I smite at the storm.

Whosoever believes in Tesus, whether it be sixteen min-
utes to eight, or whether it be eight o'clock, shall find that

BELIEF.

Christ is ready to receive sinners. * * Ready, and ready
now, not sometimes^ but at all times — not now and then, oc-
casionally, on Sunday and high revival days, but " y^oday-, if
ye will hear His voice." * * It is a lie, nine times out of
ten, when men say they are waitinj;^ for Christ, because they
have not that awful anxiety, that dolorous uneasiness of mind,
which goes with true waitinor. It is only a make-believe
waiting, a mere excuse; but whatever sort of waiting it is, it
is clean opposite to the gospel which never says a word about
waiting, but which connuands men to believe and live.

c. II. s.

Says one, " I ]:)elieved all my days, in a kind of a way
that Jesus died for me; but it was then only a doctrine of the
Jiibh\ now it is a great, x^wXfart in my heart.'''' * * " Now
I see that the death and resurrection of Christ are real and
for mv sins." j. g.

: " i

The moment in which a sinner, from his heart, repents,
and commits his soul to Christ, trusting in His merits for
pardon, is the moment of his acceptance by his heavenly
Father. His sins are pardoned. He is received, through the
merits of the Messiah, into the family of the redeemed. He
is one with Christ, and one with the whole company in
heaven and earth, who have washed their robes, and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb. f. w.

What is it to believe, 'ay you ? It is with thy whole
heart to rely simply on the Lord Jesus Cluist, He is the only
mediator — to look to His sufferings and His death for the
forgiveness of thy sins. c. ii. s.

You cannot mean to say that you ought to go to God,
believing that He is not willing to bless you, in order that by

■T^

GLEANINGS.

il, :

^ I

<!l

SO praying you may persuade Him to make you believe that
he is willing. Are you to persist in unbelief till, in some
miraculous way, faith drops into you, and God compels you
to believe? Must you go to God with loiacccptable prayer,
in order to induce Him to give you the power of acceptable
prayer? Is this what you mean by the duty of praying in
order to believe? If so, it is a delusion and a sin. ji. b.

" It would be cruel, and only tormenting you before
your time, to encourage an anxiety which could never be re-
lieved b)- the possession of the object which excites it. Your
case is not hopeless, you may be saved ! You are invited to
be saved. * * The blessing is within your reach; it is
near you, and it will be your own fault if you do not
possess it." J. I'.

We arc now alone — permit me to engage in a short
prayer for this blessing: "O Lord, we have just been read-
ing \\\ thy own word, that 'whosoever calleth on the name
of the Lord shall be saved ;' give me, I beseech thee, every
qualification of body, soul, and mind, which thou secst is re-
quisite and necessary, in order that I may be enabled to 'call'
in a way agreeable to thy will in order that I may derive all
the spiritual sweetness and strength and profit that thou didst
design to flow from it, when, in infinite wisdom, thou didst
most graciously put it in thy word which thou designed to be
a 'lamp to our feet, and a guide to our waj.' " I feel that I
have now "called on the Lord'' with all the praying powers
with which I am endowed. Am I now saved?

The foresToinjr is an extract from a commimication of
the writer's, published some twenty 'Cwc years ago in a re-
ligious newspaj)er. One correspondant answered as follows:

"No wonder the blessing was withheld. As though
any thing you could do or say was at all meritorious. Pos-
sibly the language of the 'prayer' could not be improved on,
but take it with its accompaniments, it might as well have

BELIEF.

been whistled as said. If it had been the prayer of a con-
trite heart there would have been no '■what next am I to do
or say,'' no, no," Another party writes thus: — "Are you
saved you ask? Most certainly j/ot. You have not called on
the r.anfie of the Lord — you have only prayed to be enabled
to do so. You are not commanded to call on the Lord
aright. No, no man can call aright^ nor is commanded to
do so, it is simply 'call'." t. s. s.

We need not trouble ourselves about believinj^ in the
wrong zua\\ but exceedinj^ly careful that you do not believe
the wronjj thinsr. It is the t/i/n<f believed that makes all the
difference as to the result. d. l. m.

What must I do to be saxed? How many have asked,
and are now asking, that momentous question. W^ > ,t var-
ious, conflictins^, and dangerous answers are given to it. In
sermon and exhortation, by the minister in the pulpit, and by
laymen in pri\ate interviews, incjuirers are addressed with
counsels, which, if followed, would conduct to ruin, instead
of to that one sure refuge provided by divine grace for the
guilty and helpless.

Those counsels, in most cases, commit men to their own
impotent efforts to become Cbristians; for they are ex-
horted to change the governing purpose of the soul; to re-
solve to be on the Lord's side; to give the heart to God; to
make up the mind to serve the Lord; to love the dear
Saviour; to consecrate the life to holy service; to surrender
the will; to forsake an ungodly world; to make a public
committal. Some of these counsels may be right at the
right time, and in the right place. w. s. m'k.

Yet how often do wc hear i)eople say, "I am afraid I
have not eome^ or believed^ or asked^ as I ought." This is
quite true; all is faulty. Hut it is not your eoniing rightly,
or believing rightly, or aski)ig rightly, that saves you. It is

■I

lifts

III!

GLEANINGS

Jesus — Jesus only. You are making a saviour of these in-
stead of Christ. The Lord says, "he that belicveth on Mc
hath everhistinsr hfe." i". w.

If you do not come, because you think you are too great a
sinner, you say, in effect, tliat He is )iot able to save you,
though He tells us "He is able to save to the uttermost all
who come!" You make Him a liar! Believe that He reallv
will do what He promises. Go to Him at once. Say to
Him, "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief! Thou art
able to save to the uttermost, — save mc,^'' n. h.

"Oh," 3^ou say, "I hear that if I come to Christ I shall
be saved; but how can I come to Him? What do you mean
by coming to Christ?" Well the reply is plain and clear, — it
is to trust Christ, to depend upon Him, to believe Him, to rely
upon Him. Then they enquire, "But how can I come to
Christ? In what way would you recommend me to come?"
The answer is, the very best way to come to Christ is
to come xvith all your ?ieeds about you. If you could get rid
of half your needs apart from Christ, you would not come
to Jesus half so well as you can with the whole of them
pressing upon you, for your needs furnishes you with motives
for coming, and gives you pleas to urge. c. h. s.

"Just as I am, without one plea.
But that thy blood was shed for mc,
And that Thou bidst mc come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come!

"Just as I am, and waiting not

To rid r.iy soul of one dark blot,

To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,

O Lamb of God, I come!

That the believing sinner'^s sins are forgiven is one of
the most glorious truth in God's word, but the manner in

BELIEF.

which it is "put" is often most mislcaclinj^^. A owes B $500
for the non-payment of which A is sent to jirison. C, :i
friend of A's come forward and pays B the $500 (hie by A,
and A is rcleaseil from prison. The sinner (A) has broken
God's (B's) hiw and consecpiently subject to the penalty at-
tached thereto. Christ (C) suffers the behevin^ sinner's
(A) penahy and God (B) pardons. The believinjj^ sinner is
forgiven because Christ (C) became, ])efore God (B) his
substitute. Sin is really not forgiven but suffered by Christ
instead of by the sinner. T. s. s.

As for me, if ever I am lost, it shrdl be at the foot of the
cross. To this pass have I come, that if I never see the face
of (iod with acceptance, yet I well believe that he will be
faithful to his His son, and true to the covenant sealed with
oaths and blood. He that believetli in Jesus, hath (not will
have) everlasting^ life: there I clinjr, like the limpet to the
rock. There is but one <^ate of heaven ; and even if T may
not enter it, I will clin<i^ to the posts of its dooi-. What am
I sayin<i^? I shall enter in, for that j^ate was never shut
■■ainst a soul that accepted Jesus; and Jesus saith, "Him
that Cometh to mc I will in no wise cast out." c. ir. s.

What is it to believe the Gospel ? It is simplv and
solely the acceptance of Christ's finished work by a hell de-
servinf^ sinner. Out of this flows sorrow for sin, and all joy
and peace in believinj^— not believing- from jjcace, but |)eace
from believinji^; not waiting to feel first, then feeling happy
as the result; not waiting first till you are better (for that you
never will be), but just as you are, accepting freely a finish-
ed salvation wrought out by Jesus Christ on the cross.

nuiTlSIl WORKMAN.

Tt is belief in /fim personally^ and not simple credence
accorded to His teachings, character and work. And here is
where they mistake and mislead, who tell the incjuirer that
he must believe what Christ says ; whut He promises; what

GLEANINGS.

I i

\^\

ill

II f

He has (^o;/r. That, of course, is f^ood as far as it f^^ocs ;
Init it conies far short of the point to which the inquirer
should l)c con(hicte(l. lie his to he broujjfht to Christ from
whom the promises proceed,"/// xvhom we have redeniptio)!^
No mere credence yielded to the utterances and doint^s (jf
the Son of God answers to the demand which the <i;ospcl
makes upon us for faith. w. s. m'k.

"Verily, verih', I say unto you, lie that believcth on
Me JiatJi everlastinjij life.'" John vi. 47.

Make sure of it then, my reader, that your confidence is
)iot repf)sed in your zvorks of amendment^ voiir re//i;/ous
o/>serva//oj/s\ yo//r pious feelings when under relig^ious in-
fluences, vour moral traini)ig froDi (■/A///r;c(/. ar,d the like.
You may have the strongest faitJi in any or all of these, and
perish everlastin<4ly, Don't deceive yourself by any "fair
show in the flesh." The feeblest faith in Christ eternally
saves, while the strongest faith in anght beside is but the
offspring of -a deceived heart; but the leafy twij^s of your
enemy's arrangin^i^ over the pitfall of eternal perdition.

Religious Tract.

"I suppose it is almost impossible to explain what it is to
come to Christ, it is so sin/pie. It is just believing what
God says about His vSon. If the Lord persuade you of the
glory and power of Emmanuel, you cannc)t but choose Him.
It is like opening the shutters of a dark room; that moment
the sun shines in. So the eye that is opened to the testimony
of God receives Christ that moment. r. m. m'c.

To be saved is to have bowed down to two truths : —
"I was lost;'''' secondly ," Christ //«.? saved me." Before
you can say that, 3'ou must have believed it. The same book
that alarms you by telling you that you are lost in Adam
that there is a judgment seat, a hell, etc., also comforts you
by telling you that Christ has taken away your sins. j. g.

BELIEF.

What is bclieviii": on him ? It is tr/tstii/p- in Ifim.
The huifi^uajife is not "Believe him" — such a belief is a />a/7
of faith, but not the zr//a/c. We believe everythin<^ the Lord
(esus has tau<^ht, but we must ^o a step further, and trust
him. * * The faith that saves is not believing certain
truths., nor even believiuf^ that Jesus is a Saviour; but is
resting (.11 Him., depending on Ilim, lying with all your
weight on Christ as the foundation of your hope, iiclieve
that he can save vou; beliexe that he v'i/l save you; at any
rate lea\ e the whole matter of your salvation with Him in
uncpiestioning confidence. Depend upon him without fear
as to your present and eternal salvation. This is the faith
that saves. * * The length of years during which we
ha\ e believed does not enter into the essence of the matter;
believers are saved whether their faith has lasted through
half a centurv or half an hour. c. ii. s.

"I belie\ ed all mv da\s in a kinil of a wav," says one,
''that Jesus died for me; but it was then a doctrine in the
l>ibh\ but now it is a real great fact in my heart."^ Says
another to me; "Oh, what relief it gives me, I see it nozv !
The death and resurrection of Christ are rcai^ and for my
sins! I am now so happy, feeling assured that I am saved
through Christ's death." j. (i.

"■ j *

m'c.

All the difference lies in the thing to be believed., and all
the difhculty is in the unwillingness of the human heart to
take it. Artless total reliance on what Jesus has done for
your soul, which leads to Himself, sa\es you — nothing more,
nothing less. It must be so. j. (i.

The way of life is a short one. There are but two steps
to it. First the sinner ^^conies to himself'' and sees what he
really is, a sinner. Second., He came to Christ and sees what
lie is, viz., a Saviour, You come to Christ by believing

•\

:i!l

I 1

( i L HANI N G S .

llis word and ihat voii aic just such a sinner as is therein
represented —that is rv pcntaiici'. IJeheN einij ( with the he;nt )
that Christ is a .Saviour — that is faith. Where faith and
re|)entance unite in the same person there is a cliai/o-c of
heart. (;. d.

"This is the work of (rod, that ve l>ehe\e on ////// whom
he hatii sent." To sas' one is sa\ed h\- his faith, is likely to
bewilder, if not to de(:ei\c'. W'e aiv saved by Clirisi and
not by our faith. Our faith is an act of obedience; foi"
"This is his commandment, — that we should believe on His

Son, (esus Christ,

)Ut it is hardl\- necessar\- to sa\-, that

this act of obedience does not justify or save the believer.
\\\ faith, he receix'es Christ., — a reception that brink's the
soul into a vital union with him, "in whom we have redemp-
tion through his blood ; the forLcivencss of sins, accordinin' to
the riches of his tj^race,"'' W'e must insist that any council to
believe, which does not hold u[) Christ as the true object of

faith, fails at the most essential
to say we are sa\cd by faith.

pon

it. It is onlv a half truth,

M K.

"Thev \vd\v not submitted themsches to the rii^hteous-
ness of God." ".Vud is that all that I have to do -to sul)mit
myself r Is that all?" you saw There is a feather in the cap
of your pride. Take it out. \ ow have a weapon of rebel-
lion by your side. Throw it down. Just submit yourself
there, with folded hands, with the rope around vour neck.
Say, "Ijord, if m\- soul be sent to hell, I deserve it. I sub-

it, and 1 plead for mercv. I plead the precious blood. I

not only subniit to take that pica, but I delight to take it.

c. II. s.

An anxii^us in([uirer went to his minister, when the
follovvini^" diolo'^ue took place: Tnquirer,-"\Vhat shall I do
tv) be saved." Minister,-" />V//<:'Z'<7 o« ///r Lord ycsus Christ.''''
In(|.,-"I have heard that hundreds of times before, but it does
not appear to meet my case." ^I'xn. .,-'■'■ Believe on the Lord

BELIEF.

yrs/fs C/irist.'''' Tnq., "Have I not first fjot to repent r"
"\I in.,-"/w7/V :•<<;// ///<■ Lord ycsiis i'/irist."" Iiuj., ''Should
I not pray first ?" Min.,-"y>*<7/<':'<' o// the Lord ycsiis
Christ.'''' hui., "It seems to nie imiiossilile to thus savinji^ly
hulic'\e without Divine aid. How am I to obtain such aid:''
Min.,-"/>V//Vi'(' oil the f.ord Ycsiis (Lirist.^^ In(|.,-"If vou
persist in ii^norin^- all my (juestions, 1 will hid vou i^ood-bye.''
Min., "Ciood-bve, <^ood-bve. '-'■Ju/icxcoi/ the Li>rif '^fcsiis
Christ.'''' Hea\en is now full of souls, once sinful, who
were sa\ed in this way. K i;r,i(;K)Us Tiiac r.

What is it to believe on Christ .' it means not onl\' to
accept what he says as true, and to belie\e that he is the
Messiah and the Son of God, but tiustfuUy to rest in him.
To l)elie\e on him is to take him as the i^ound of our htjpes,
as our .Saviour, upon whom w(^ depend for salvation. * *
We make use of Him by tiustin;^- on Him to do for us what
(jod has appointed him to do. This trustiufj on Jesus is
savinjr faith. To belie\e Him may be a \ery different thinj;-
from belie\in<^ on Him. Such l)elief ma}- fall shoit of sav-
in;^- faith. We rest ourselves whollv on Him. That is
savinj^ faith. c. ii. s.

Such phrases as, -'decide for Christ," "give your heart
to Cod," are objectionable, althouLjh a rijjcht enou<j;h thinj:^ is
nient, inasmuch as they imply an I'lJ'ort to be put forth,
which mav be misunderstood, whereas a si^j^ht merelv of the
mind of the pierced hand of Jesus makes the anxious one
exclami. ";;/!■ Lortl and iiiv God." He now

saved.

uelieves and is
J. G.

Away he goes — saying "/ thought', J thoi/oht' I
thoKo-ht.'''' I have heard that tale so often, that I am tired
of it. I advise you to take God's words, (iod's thoughts,
(iod's ways. A man to be converted has to give up his w ill,
his wa}- and his thought. d. l. m.

wr.

GLEANIN(iS

Well, brethren, you aiul I loni^ o do something to please
our Redeemer, I know we have often eried, " Oh, what
shall I do, my Saviour to praise?" iielieve Him, then, be-
lieve His promises without a doubt, believe Him unstagj^er-
ingly, believe Him to the full, and ^^o on in faith till there
seems to be nothinjj^ further to believe. c. ii. s.

Says, "God so loved the world that He gave His onh -
begotten Son, that whosoe\ er believelh in Him shouUl not
perish, but ha\e everlasting life."' Thus, it is clear that he
that believeth in ]esus is born again. 1 pray thee, have an
eve to all the land of truth, and when thou seemest to be
perseeuted in one eity of truth flee to another, for there is a
refu<re citvo\en for thee. The same keN which locks will
also unlock. c. ii. s.

A Christian in the east of England used to say it took
him forty-two } ears to learn three thuigs— ( i ) That he
could do nothing to save himself; (2) That (jod did not
require him to do anything; and (;^) That Christ did it all.

If iw^ learn these three lessons you will never talk al>out
your doiuos. '' \'our ]Kirt '' is to atlniit that you are a help-
less, hell-deservinij sinner, unable to do anvthinir to save
voursclf. " ^'our part "" is to cease thinking of being saxed
by anything that you can do or feel. " ^'( r.v part"" is to be-
lieve that Jesus did e\ervthing that was nccessar\- — that He
finished the work of atonement, and paid the ransom price
with His precious blood. Whenever you cease trying to be
saved by your doii/i^s^ and believe on the Lord Jesus who
did it all, and paid it all, you become a son of God, an heir
of glorv, and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. A. M.

Everybody tries to runaway to the thought that he does
lielieve in Christ's power for ot/wrs^ but he trembles for
Jiimscif; but 1 must hold each man to the point which con-
cerns himself, I must buttonhole you and bring } ou to the

BELIEF.

real test. Jesus asks each of you — " Dost thou believe thai
I am able to do this ? " c. ii. s.

The preacher (leli<^hts to tell you in God's name that who-
soever belie\es in Jesus shall recei\e immediate pardon.
What do these men say? " (), if it be so easy to be forgiven
let us <^o on in sin. If faith is so very siinple a matter, let us
put it off till some future time." (), li:i-e and cruel argue-
nientl To incur *i^reater s'xn from infinite love I What shall
I call it but de\ilish reasoninj^. c. ir. s.

I cannot speak to you like an anjj^el from heaven, but I
speak like a sinner saved from hell; and 1 implore }()U to
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and vou shall be saved.

c. H. s.

1 am to believe Christ because God <j^ivcs me the wit-
ness concernin<2^ Christ; and if I will not do so I shall ha\ e
no other witness. The inward e\ idence onlv comes to those
who first of all accept the e^■idence of (jod. Witness /// us
is not ijiven first, but the witness to us; and if the e\ idence
to us be rejected w<' ^!i:,'l l)e cast a\va\- and lost forever.

C. H. S.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and hang on that; ami
when you cannot comi)rehcnd your own feelings, and your
religion all seems to be in a tangle, ne\er mind; holil on to

the cross and sing-

"I The cliicf of sinner one,
But Jesus died f<ir ine.

Stand to that. Rest vou in the precious blood once
shed for many for the remission of sins, and by-and-])y you
shall know all about the winding experiences through which
you are now going. Then shall you know w hen you follow
on to know the Lord. j. g.

•sssaawaaaH

GLEANINGS

He is the tenderest of all hearts, the most lovinsj;' of all
beni<^s, and yet there was a day when I thought Ilini a
severe tyrant who expected a preparation of nie which 1
could not produce in myself. I did not know that he would
take me just as I was and blot out m^- sin; 1 know it lunv,
but I mourn that I so greviously belied him. v. if. s.

It is not the ([uality of the vcssr/, but tiic tiuality of the
ivatcr^ that the thirsty soul thinks of; and he whose pride
will not allow him to think out of a soiled or broken pitcher,
mu.it die of thirst. vSo he who puts away the sure reconciliation
of the cross, because of an imperfect faith, must die the
death. He who says, "I believe the j-ii^-ht thin<jc, but 1 don't
believe it in the right wa\',and therefore I can't have peace;"
is the man whose pritle is such, that he is determined not to
quench his thirst save out of a cup of gold. ii. i;.

I r

!il i.

') ■ [

I I

Mc thiid^s 1 hear you say, "what must T do to be saved .-''
Let me tell \o\\ the way of salvation, and then farewell. If
thou wouldest be sa\ed, '■'• /u'/icvc on the Lord ycsiis Christ
and thou sJiall be saved ;'''' for the Scripture says, "he that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved; he thatbelie\eth
not shall be damned." There He hangs, dying on the
cross! look to Him and live: — c. ii. s.

"This is the work of (Jod, that ye belie\e on him whom
he hath sent." To say one is savetl by his faith, is likely to
bewilder, if not to decei\ e. We are sa\cd by Christy and
not by our faith. Our faith is an act of obedience; for "This
is his commandment, — that wc should belie\e on his Son,
Jesus Christ." liut it is hardly necessary to say, that this
act of ol)edience tloes not justify or save the believer. \\y
faitli he receives Chrisf^---:\ reception that brings the soul
into a \'\Va\ union with him, "in whom we ha\ e redemj)tion
through his blood ; the forgiveness of sins according to the
riches of his grace." We must insist that any counsel to be-
lieve, which does not hold up Ciiiust as the true object of
faith, fails at the most essential point. It is onl} a half truth,
to say we are sa\ed by faith. w. s. m'k.

<; of all
;Iiin a
•hich I
would
it now,
H. s.

Holy Spirix.

of the
e pride
:)itchcr,
•iliation
lie the
1 don't
peace;"

not to
H. I'..

l^ut how does God draw? Not phisieally. as if a man
was a mere machine. He draws the mind and the affections
by the tcachin^^s of I lis word and Spirit. Hear, "every man
tiiat //(//// Iicard^ and Jiatli learned of the Father cometh un-
to inc." It is by Jicariiig and lca)iii}io-^ therefore, that the
sinner is diawn bv the Father to fesus and saved. j. t;.

ill

^aved r

ell. If

1 Chrht

le that

ie\ eth

n the

I. s.

whom
ely to
.s7, and
"This
s Son,
t this
■ l^v

le soul
mj)tion
to the
to be-
jcct of
f truth,
m'k.

The Holy Spirit impresses the truth upon the soul of
man in a great variety of methods. vSometimes the sinner is
at once made sensible of his j^uilt, and of all its tremendous
consequences. The sins of his whole life are set in array
before him, and every one of them is an insult to a holy and
all-merciful God. He is concious of his utter helplessness,
by reason of '^'le control which sin exerts over all his
faculties.

Now, we believe all this to be the agency of the Holy
Spirit upon the heart. Vet, not fre([uently, the sinner is the
last person to believe it.

"Oh that I knew where I might find Him!" He has
learned that he must perish unless he can attain to something
which the world can not give. He is already mo\ ing in a
direction which he never knew before; but it does not occur
to him that this new train of thought is the result of the
Holy Spirit drawing the soul to Christ. i . w.

We hold the absolute necessity of the work of the Holy
Spirit in order to the (luickenlng and conversion (^f perishing
souls, as well as the instruction of the sa\ ed.

GLEANINGS

The only ([iicstion, then, which falls to he considered is

kciicd a)id anxious siinicr? A

What am J to say to a?i azca

I to say simpl}', ^''J->cUcvc i)i tJic Lord Jestis Christy atid

</iaI/ be saved .

lid the

ule of the Gentiles t(

oil snail in: saved ; as saiu tne aposiie or tiie Lientnes to
the trcmblinj^ jailer of Philippi? Or am I, as tJie first thing-
J do^ to exhort hini to pray for the Holy Spirit to con^•ince
him more deepl\- of his sin, enlij^hten his darkened under-
rtanding, renew his per\erse will, and enable him to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ to the saving of his soul? Am 1 to
direct him, as the <^rand thine? he has to do, to belie\e in the
Lord Jesus Christ, and accept His blood-sheddino^ as the only
foundation of his j^eace with (Jod; or to seek the work of
the Spirit as an addition to Christ's work, in onler that he
may be justified? Tiie former leads to Justification l)y faitit
a/one, the true apostolic doctrine of the church of the lirst
a<?e; the latter leads to Justification />]' sanctification (so-
called) tiie pernicious doctrine of a later era. w. [{,

E\en tlie physiolocrist, when "he is hungry, tlocs not
think much of tunc he eats. The two great points are, that
he is hungr\', and that he lias a good dinner. Some are
hungry and ha\e not the good food, others have the food
and are not hungr\-. Hut the qualification for enjo\ ing food
is not a knowledge of how to eat, but the being hungry.
^\"e do not need to know fio-.i' we are born again in order to
be saved. We do not need to know all or anything about
the Spirit's work within us in order lo get peace (there were
people, in Acts xix. 2, who were belie\ ers, and Avho yet said
"VVe have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy
Ghost"), but we must know about Christ's work j'or us be-
fore we can be sa\ed. w. v. m'k

Tlie object of the Holy Spirit's work, in convincing of
sin, is to alter the sinner's opinion of himself, and so to re-
duce his estimate of his own character that he shall think of
himself as Gc^d does, and so cease to suppose it possible that

H01.Y SPIRIT,

he can be justified by any excellency of his own, Ilavinjif
altered the sinnei's gooil opinion of himself, the Spirit then
alters his e\ il opinion of God, so as to make him see that the
(jod, with whom he had to do, is realh- the God of all grace.

H. H.

IIavin<r found access to the mercv-seat bv the new and
living way, his life has become involuntaril\- a ///r of prayer.
He does not prav because he is commanded to pray, but be-
cause he feels the need of it, and because he loves it. lie
feels the necessitv oi divine guidance in every e\ ent of life,
and of the divine l)le»sing upon every inulertaking. Speci-
ally is this the case in his efforts to promote the spiritual
benefit of others. (jod alone, bv His Spirit, can teach him
what to sav, prepare for him suitable occasions for speaking,
and so o^ien the heart of those whom he addresses, that the
seed sown in weakness and tears may spring up and bear
fruit to everlastin<r life. i-. w.

As soon a> the Holy Sj^irit shews you the entire sufiici-
encv of the great propitiation iox the sinner, just as he is,
vou cease your attempts to art or xcor^-^ and take, instead of
all such exercises of yours, that which Christ has done. The
S])irit's work is not to enable a man to c/o something which
will save him or help to save him, but so detach him from all
his own exertions and performances, whether good, bad, or
indifferent, that he shall be content with tlie salvation which
the Saxiour of the lost has finished. ii. b.

2nd. Confoiuidimj; tlic xvork of the Spirit in us ~vith
Christ\s zcorl: for us. While the Spirit of God is the sole-
agent, the truth of God is the sole instrument which He em-
ploys. We cannot see the Spirit ; we can see the Word.
We cannot see His operations; we can I'cad His record about
Christ. No doubt it will be mereh letters without nuaninti:.

Jii

GLEANINGS,

until lie opens the eves ; but lie works only in His appoint-
ed ehannel. He ne\'er tells us to look iir.vard e\en to His
own operations, for peace, but o/itzcard to Christ. That is
the most vSj>irit-honourin_<^ preaching of the gospel in which
vou hear most of Christ. w . i'. m'k.

Many a sinner is kept in intolerable suspense, offering
his heart to God, and receiving no comfort, antl obtaining no
evidence of his adoption, from a mistake in this respect. He
thinks that he has submitted every ihing to (iod ; but in
some hidden corner of his heart there lies something \eiled
which he has ne\er surrendered. He may thus wearv out
the patience of God, until the Spirit lea\ es liim. v. \\ .

IN
m

Vou cannot be saved without the .Spirit, but nou may be
saved without hno-cinrr much or a 'vthin<'- about Him. We
read of some \vho were sa\ ed, but who had uevei" so much as
heard whether there was a Hoh' (ihost. j. (;.

* * The IIol\- Spirit is most willing to reveal to vou the
glory which the\- contain. It is his oilice, it is his delight, to
be the sinner's teacher. He will not be behind you in wil-
lingness. It is of the utmost moment that you should re-
member this ; lest you shoidd grie\e and repel Him b\' \()ur
distrust. II. i;.

Alan is by nature blind within. The cross of Christ, so
laden with glories, and glittering wiih attractions, never at-
tracts him, because he is blind and cannot see its beauties.
Talk to him of the wonders of the creation, show to him the
many-colored arch that spans the sky, let him behold the
glories of a landscape, he is well able to see all these things ;

HOLY S P I H I T

hut talk to him of the \von(lers of the eovenant of itj^race,
speak lo him of the securit\' of the hcHe\er in Christ, tell him
(if the heauties of the person of the Redeemer, he is quite
(leaf to all \-our (lescrij)tion ; vou are as one that playeth a
^•oo(ll\- turie, it is true ; Imt he rejj^ards not, he is deaf, he
has no comprehension. Permit me to show vou wherein this
inri])ilit\- of man reallv does lie. It lies deep /// /lis nature.
Throu^'h the fall, and throui^ii our own sin, the nature of
man has l^ecome so dehased, and depra\ed, and corrupt, that
it is impossible for him to come to L'hrist without the assist-
ance of God the Holy Spirit. (. . ll. s.

Now, m\" dear friends, lias the Spirit e\ er made tiie
Lord Jesus j^lorious in \dui' e\es"' Hi-ethren and sisters, this
is the one point above all others. If the llolv (ihost has
ne\er made Christ precious to \<)U, you know nothiu<:^ about
Ilim. If lie has noi lifted Jesus up, and sunk \-our own
conlidence, if He has not made \()u feel that Christ is all vou
want, and that more than all in Him yf)U find, tlien he has
i/cvcr wroi/i;/it a divine c/iaiiLic i// your heart. Repentance
and faith must stand ^aziiiL'^ upf)n the bleedinj^- vSa\iour, or
else hope \\ ill ne\er join tliem and brin<^ peace as his com-
l^anion. c. ii. s.

I»ut thouii^h it needs the power of the di\ ine vSpirit to
make us bclie\inn- men; tliis is not because faith is a mys-
terious thiiii^, a <^reat exercise or effort of soul, which must
be \ery accurately <i^one through, in order to make it, and us,
acce2">tal)le; but because of our dislike to the truth believed,
and our enmity to the Hein^;- in ^^•hom we are asked to con-
iide. Belie\in<^is the simplest of all men-al processes; vet
not the less is the power of (>od needed. ii. n.

The vS[)irit of (Jod is fj^i\en to " Leail us unto all truth,"
and reveiXMith- sou<rht He will be <>iven to all who lack wis-
doin, to teach thein the thinj^s of Christ, by taking those

Iff

GLEANINGS.

precious thiiii^s mid revealiii'j;' them unto their hearts. * *
I (h'ead, hevoiid all thin<i;s, the Spirit's withdrawal. Death

has not iialf the terror of that thouirht to me.

II. s.

It is the Holy iSpirit alone that can draw us to the cross,
and fasten us to the Suvioin-. He who thinks he can do with-
out the S])irit, has yet to learn his own sinfulness and help-
lessness. The tj^ospel would he no ^ood news to the dead in
sin, if it did not tell of the love and power of the divine
Spirit, as explicitly as it announces the love and power of the
divine Su])stitute. ir. r..

True praver is always a joint work ; the Holy Sj)irit
witliin us unites acceptahle desires upon our hearts and then
we present them. The Holy Ghost docs not plead apart
from our desirin*^ and helieving; we must ourselves desire
and will and plead and agonize, Ivecause the Spirit of God
worketh in us so to will and to do. We plead with God be-
cause we are prompted and guided liy His Holy S])irit.

c. II. s.

^Jen profess to he puz/ded with this and that, when the
truth is that their hearts are alienated from God; when the
heart is right, and they are sincere inquirer, they will feel
that the plan of salvation by grace is most suitable, most
wise, and most acceptable. When God the Holy Spirit once
makes a man to feel himself to be a lost, undone, hell-deserv-
ing sinner, he readily seizes upon the gospel of free grace as
a hungry man grasps a loaf. May God bring men to feel
themselves sinners, and they will cavil at the gospel no more.

c. II. s.

to
his

sen

Now, we are constantly prone to look at something in
ourselves as necessary to form the ground of peace. We are

HOLY SPIRIT.

ajit to re^^ard tlic work of the Spii'it in us rather than tlu-
work of Christ for us, as tlie fouiuhition of our j^cact-. Tliis
is a mistake. We know that the operations of the Spirit of
God have their projDer place in Christianity: hut His work is
never set fortii as tiiat on whicii our J5eace depends. The
Holy Cjhost (h'd not make ]:)eace; hut Christ i\'\(\: the Holy
Ghost is not said to he our peace; hut Christ is. God did
not send '•p/'car/ih/^' pcact''' h\ the IIoK' (ihost, hut />r ycsNs
Christ. w. i{.

There are two errors a^j^ainst which v\ e must ^uard: —
First, not recoj;nisin<( or acknowled<i^inf^ the Spirits
special work in regeneration. Second, confusin_<i^ or mixin<^
this with Christ's work done for us. w. v. m'k.

Moral truth seems powerless upon men, just as light,
and sound, and contact produce no impression on the senses
of a lifeless c(M'pse. This is just what the vSci"ipture mean,
when they declare men to he dead in tresspasses and sins.
Hence, though the atonement he made, and salvation offered
to men, not one will accept it, unless, by the Spirit of God,
his heart is opened to receive the truth.

This is one of the purposes for which the Holy vSpii'it is
sent to sinful men. He comes to convince thcni of sin.

V. w.

Some of your difficulties seem to arise from mixing up
the natural and supernatural. Now the marvellous tiling in
conversion is, that while all is supcrnatnral (being the work
of the Holy Ghost), all is also natnral. Vou are, pei'hajis,
expecting some miraculous illapse of heavenly power and
brightness into your soul; something apart from divine
truth, and from the working of man's powers of mind. \ o\\
have been expecting faith to descend, like an angel from
heaven, into your soul, and Jiope to be lighted up, like a new

r, I, F A N I N G S .

star in your finnatncnt. It is not so. The I^pirit's work is
biyoinl nature, but it is not ao-a'nist nature. He disj^laces no
faculty; lie disturbs no nienlal process; he <h)cs violence to
no part of our moral framework ; he creates no new or<^an
of thouj^ht or feclinj^. ii. i;.

So far it is our own work; and he it renienihered that
in every case faith is and must l)e the act of man. The Holy
Spirit never ])elicves for any body, each man must personally
believe. But, havinjr said that, let us rememlier that the
Godward history of our believins^ is (|uite another thinf^, for
true faith is always the <jift of Gv)d and the work of the
Holy Spirit. The Holy spirit brinies us to perform the act
of faith ])y which we are saved; and the process is after this
manner, thoutjfh varying; i'l different individuals: — First we
are brou<j;-ht attentively to listoi to the old, old story of the
cross. While we arc listeninjj;-, the word commends itself to
us * * before long the Spirit of God, who works throu<(h
the word, applies some portion or other of Holy Scripture
to the soul with power, and the man is brouj^ht to faitli. * ^•
To make us conscious of our inability is a j^reat way towards
faith in Christ. * * Let me next ask, are any of you
seekinjjf after any witness bevond the witness of God? If
you are, do you not know that virtually you are thereby mak-
in<j God a liar? c. ir. s.

It is n(^t expected that the Holy Spirit in answer to our
prayers will inform us immediately, as by a whisper; when
either awake or asleep, that we are the children of (iod; or
in any other way then by enabling us to exercise repentance
and faith, and love to God and our neighbour. We are not
to suppose that he reveals any thing contrary to the written
word, or more then is contained in it, or through any other
medium. We are not so led by, or operated upon by the
Spirit as to neglect the ordmary means of grace. c. b.

the

they

||uest

tincti

upon

hlood

thou;

This
has f
in ori
word

','

HOLY SPIFMT.

T ]>clicnc that in our c'()n<ric'<(;iti()iis there are tnaiiy persons
w hi) have been nieii'lfiih y restrainetl from the ^'i;ner vices,
and e\hil)it ever\ thiuL;' tliat is puie and excellent in moral
character, persons who are not op])osed to the jj^ospel, who
are ready enouj^h to receive it if t/wy diJ luil lan/crslanJ if,
who are even anxious to he sa\ed hv lesvis Christ. Thes'
know so little of the Kedeemer, thai thev are not ahle to
lind rest in llim; hut this slenderness of Knowlechj^e is the
only tiling that holds them hack from faith in Ilim, Thex
aie williuL^ enou^'h to ohev if the\- understood the command.

(. . H. S.

I iisKflicioit an/iiaiiitaincsliip -:itli (unl lies at the root
of our fears and <jjl()om. I know that tiesh and hlofxl cannot
reveal Clod to v<'u, :nid that the IIolv Sj)iril alone can enable
\()u to know eitiier the Father or the Son. i>ut I would not
have you for a momet suppose that this Spirit is reluctant to
do his work in you; nor would I encourajj^c vou in the awful
thoui^ht that yoii are willinef, while lie is un\villin<:(; or that
the soNcreij^'utv ot (iod is a hindrance to the sinner, and a
restraint of the vS]:)irit. The whole Bible takes for "granted
that all this is absolutely impossilde. Never can the sijreat
truths of divine so\'erei<4"ntv and the Spirit's work land us. as
some seem to think thev mav do, in such a conflict between
a zc'//////''" sinner and an //nzci/lina' God. u. w.

It is of the utmost importance to distinjj^nish between
the vSpirit's work in us and Chiist's work for us. Where
they are confounded, one rarelv finds settled peace as to the
([uestion of sin. The type of the passo\er illustrates the dis-
tinction \ery simply. The Israelite's peace was not founded
upon the unlea\ened bread or the bitter herbs, i)nt npon tJic
blood. Nor was it, by any means, a c[uestion of what he
thou^'ht about the blood, but what G(k1 thoiii^ht aliout it.
This j^ives immense relief and comfort to the heart, (jod
has found a ransom, and he reveals that ransom to us sinners
in order that wo. miii^ht rest therein, on the authority of his
word, and by the grace of his Spirit. w. \\.

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GI. EANINCS.

Could you picture Jesus goliin^ al)out Palestine sellini,'
his cures, sayinjij to the hiiiul hegj^ar, '"How much have you
left of the alms of the charitahle to jjive to me for your eye-
si<^ht?" Or say ill ti^ to Martha ami Mary, "hring me hither all
you have, and I will raise youi- brother La/arus." Oh, 1
loathe to sjK'ak of it, it makes me sick to ima<:jine such a
thine;-. How very weary must the Lord he with your self-
righteousness, with vovn* attempt to trailic and to har<;ain
with him I SaKation must he ^''/evv/ without price, since it is
God that i,'/:v.v. c. ii. s.

The object of the Spirit's work is to make us accpiaint-
ed with the true Jeho\ah ; that in Ilim we may rest ; not
to jirodiice in us certain feelinji^s, the consciousness of which
will make usthiid< better of ourseKes, and ^\\c us confidence
toward (jod. Tiiat which he sliews us of ourselves is onh
evil; that which he shews us of (iod is only {ijood. He does
not enable us to feel or to believe, in order that we may be
comforted by >ur feelinij^ or nui" faith. Even when
workinij^ in us most powerfully, he turns our eve away frt)ni
his own wf)rk in us, to fix it on God, and his lo\x; in Jesus
Christ our Lord. / n. n.

Men are often ijjnorant of the wav of salvation. I am
not speakinij now as thon;^h I blamed them. * *

Yet, when I be^jan to seek the, Lord, I did not know the
way of sah ation. I knew the letter of it, but not the real
meaninL!^. How can a man know it till the .Spirit of God re-
veals it tf) him? The sun itself may shine, but a man will
never see it till his c) es are opened. c. ir. s.

God the Father loved sinners so much, as to send Jesus
to die for them. Jesus loved sinners so much, as to lav down
Tlis life for their redemption. The Holy Spirit loves sinners
so much, thit he has written a record of God's manifeste<l
love to sinners in Jesus Christ, and he has come down him-
self in person, to reveal that love to their souls. w. r.

HOLY SPIRIT

If you uiulerstooJ the gospel, the consciousness of your
total helplessness would just be the discovery that you arc
the verv sinner to whom the <jreat salvation is sent ; that
your inability was all foreseen and provided for, and that you
are in the very position which needs, which calls for, and
which shall receive, the aid of the Almighty Spirit.

Till you feel yourself in this extremity of weakness you
are not in a condition (if I may say so) to receive the heaven-
ly help. Your idea of remaining ability is the very thing
that repels the help of the Spirit, just as any idea of remain-
ing goodness thrusts away the propitiation of the Saviour.
It is your not sccimr that von have i/o strc>i<jth that is keep-
ing you from believing. h. h.

1 1

Jesu^

I am

ow the

he real

iod re-

an will

H. s.

Praying and believing arc alike, impossible with the un-
regeneratc man, without the quickening of the Spirit of (Jod.
The great point is to Hnd out what we are commanded to do,
what is our duty to do. It is to tell e\ery man the good news,
and press him instantly to believe it. It is the Spirit that is
the agent, but he always uses the truth as the instnmient, the
truth about a crucified and now ris-en Christ. Faith does not
come by feeling, trying, nor praying, but by hcariti^.

w. p. m'k.

When one's eyes are opened by the Iloh' Ghost, how
monstrous docs it seem for the sinful creature to have been
attempting to work out a righteousness which could be
effected only by the Creator 1 Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to e\ erv one that believeth, and, believing
in Jesus, I found that, instead of needing to bcoin to fulfil
the law. w. R.

id Jesus
V down

sinners
nifested

-n bim-

W. R.

There is this truth never to be forgotten, that while
faith is the i^ift of God it is also our oicii art. The Holy
Spirit works faith in us, but we ourselves personally believe:
the Holy Ghost does not believe for us — what hns he to be-
lieve.' It would be altogether absurd to conceive of the Holy

lt':,4

GLEANINGS.

f i

Cihost as hclievinjj^ and as rcpcntiiicj! ?n()w, if such a thinj^^
were possible, could it 1)c of any benefit to us, for the faith
which saves the soul must he personal and cannot he pei-
fonned hv proxy. I-'aitii ishoth GoiTs 4'//? and nian'st^r/. The
Lord is the author of our faith, hut we ourselves helieve. ^
It is our dutv to helieve, and to helieve in the hi<ifhe»t deirree;
and though some professors can never see the consistenc)' oi'
tlie two statements that faith is the ,^'//7 of (iod and yet the
<////)' of man. W'e are sure that the one is as true as the
other; and so wliile 1 earnestly refer you to the Spirit of
God for strenjjjth in order to ohlain moie faith, yet I shall not
apoloL(i/,e for unhelief, or treat stron<j;' faith as a work of
supererogation, for which God has no claim on us. c.ii.s.

The desi|4-ns of the Father and the commands of the
Son are hrou<jiit into actual and embodied existence b\ tiie
operation of the IIolv Ghost, and tliat both in creation and
redemption. lie (|uickens those who are dead in trespasse>
and sins, purilies and sanctifies thejn, and thus prepares them
to jj;lorify (iod and enjov iiim foi'cver. .1. k.

We do not insist th;it it is (iod's will th;it all sliall ha\e
the same overpowerinj^ baptism of the Spiiit which Finne\
and Hrainard Taylor had ; or be visited with such seraphic
deliji^hts as h^dward and Flavel enjoved, or be fa\ored \\ ith
such times of refreshin;^; as were \ouchsafed to Hraiiuu'd and
Christmas E\ans. Hut the anointini^ of the .Spirit to iit us
for the hijjjhest ser\ ice and success this seems to be some-
thing: for which all may ri<rhtlv seek. And how mav it be
ohtaineil is the ([uestion r

It is by real pra\ers we ha\e gained access to God and
obtain the communication of the .Spirit, e\ery serx ice will be
ciuickened, c\ery duty will be inspiied, every inHrmity will
be heljicd.

Hy a diliji^ent study of the Holy .Scriptures we shall most
assuredly be on the way of attainin*^ this hlessint::. " V7/<-
Spirit of (rod rides tnost triitniphantly in his own ritariol"
says a worthy Puritan. If we mount up to (jod in the
chariot of faith and intercession, we may look for him to
come down to us in the chariot of truth. a. j. g.

Praykr.

riV

Xo doubt inany i)erish, who li\c ;uul die pra\inji;. The
word of God, docs not say, "he that pra\cili shall be saved,"
but "he that hdicrcthy "Whosoever' shall eall upon the
name of the LorI shall be saved; but how shall the}- call
upon hiiu /// 'c/iotn tJicy have )i<>f believed y * * Trust in
ll'uii - \\(A \w what he -vi// do^ for that is another suggestion
of the enemy, l)ut in what he has Joi/e a/reai/v. After vou
ha\e trusted what he /las do>n\ and are saved, t/ien look
forward to what he xvi// do. j. G.

Do not satisfy yourself %\ith i)rayin<if that you may re-
l)ent, and l)elie\ e, and be converted. This is not what God
recjuires of you. All his promises of salvation arc made to
those who actiilly rej)ent and believe, not to those who fray
that they may repent. I would ha\ e you pray for repen-
tance and faith, and every Christian f,'race: but to relv on
this, as if it were the fullillin^i^ of the commandments is to
build on a false foundation. You must believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, or vou will ne\er be sa\ed. j. s.

'$Mm

It is hard to believe when prayer seems to be a failure.

I would to God that some poor seeker mifjht believe that

Jesus Christ is able and willing to save, and so fully believe

it that his unanswered prayers shall not be able to make him

in?

G L H A N' I \ G S .

tloubt. Even if you should piay in \;iiii by the inoutlis to-
jjfcther, do not allow a doubt about the Lord Jesus and hi^
power to save to cross your niiiui. What if you catuiot yet
j^rasp the peace which faith must ultimately brinj^ you, what
if you have no certaiutv of for^isemss of \ our sin,
what if no <^leam of hope should \ isit \<)ur spirit; vet bebeve
vou him, who cannot lie. * * (^ soul, if you have it, }(ui
are a saved man, as sure as you are alive. If even the Lord's
apparent refusal to bless xou camu)t close \ «)ur mouth, \ our
faith is of a noble sort, and salvation is v<>ui"s. r. ii. s.

The current notion is, "1 must pray so much; I must
weep so much; and I must feel so much." Oh ! this is the
common ijj;norance, whereas men should know that, ''There
is life in a look at the Crucified One.*' ''Win-, everybody
preaches this," says some one. I know tliev do, but jieople
who do not understand it, althouj^h you keep on pieachin<;
it; for until (iod the Holy (ihost makes men to kno.v thi'
ineanin<^ of what vou sav, the/ will but nod their heads, and
pass on. Thoui^h I heard the <^ospel from my childhood,
and was brou<i;ht uj) on the knee of pietv, I did i.ot under-
stand what I must do to l)e saved, till I hearil that text
preached from, "Look unto me, and be ye sa\ed,all the ends
of the earth." * * It \\;is the fault of these tlim eyes,
that I could not sec.

But sincere, earnest prayer is after all not so commeiul-
able as it seems at Hrst sij;ht inasmuch as it is lH'sccch'ni<y Ilini
to accept what the sinner is askinj^ for. It implies unbelief
with an inclination to do somethinj:^. * * If you would
be saved vou have only to stop makino; God a liar. * *
lie calls it doin*; his part whereas he can do nothinir in that
sense. It was the utterly helpless iiian at the pool that Jesus
healed. I. (;.

[ Pour

out

vom-

hear

Lord,

with oi

• with

t bef<

)re the

>ut

words,

vou

ihul

most

easy.

but let

your

inmost

heart

PRAYER.

reullv full of desire.

mjr.

Be resolved ;ilioiit ol-taiiiini,'- the blcss-

L. II. S.

JIilV l"' VJXll nil r^.llX.llUMI , 111 l-i ,11 Mll> IlitllllCllL

prayiiiii- \ou to take it. If \ ou expect to l»e sa\til liy pi:i\c-r
vou will l)e ciecei\e(l, as it cannot ))()ssil)l\- lake xou a step
nearer to heaven. a. m.

! I

I 4

nibelief
would

in that
It Jesus
I. (i.

() I^ortl I take my heart, for 1 cannot :,'"/:■(' it; and when
I'hou liast it, oh ! keep it for I cannot keep it for Thee: ai.d
save nie in spite of nnself, for Jesus Chri>l's >ake.

r'KN'.ON,

Man, thou*;h fallen, is a moral and intellectual hcini;,
and is addressed as such 1)\ his maker, lie is hound to use
his faculties in the matter of his saKation. .Since ''faith
cometh by heai'in^,'" he is of course h()mul to hear, \\ hen
<^ospel truth once bei^ins to take effect, it makes a sad ha\ oc
of all self-ri_Ljhteousness, and causes j^reat ct)mmotion in the
mind. Give a man somethinij to do - tell him to "use means"'
— set him "to jiray", etc., autl all is plain, lie ma\ set about
it at once, or he may promise to do so; or he mav ahead v lie
busy at it. It chimes in with his own thoujj^ht. * * (iod's
way of salvation is so opposed to man's notions, and so morti-
fyin<^ to his pride, that a violent stiu<^<^le with self in vield-
in<r to Christ takes place, * * lie now sees that his verv
religion, apart from Clnist, is just one splendid sin anti noth-
ing more. j. u.

: I

I !

GLEANINGS.

Arc you seckinj^ the Snviour, and arc vou trustinj^ him,
and have you not yet obtained the jicacc which comes from
l)cncvinyf ? Then with j^rcat importunity continue in prayer
and wail on, remembcrinj^ that the blessing is worth waitint;
for. * *■ ^Vgoni/e in desire, and let not the i^nocker of
heaven's j^ate ever rest; make the d(K)r of meicv to resound
again and again with your resokite blows upon it. c. n. s.

But even sincere, earnest prayer is, after all, not so
commenc'.able as it seems at first siglit, seeing" (>od is fycsccr//-
i//o- hint. It implies unbelief. True, he ijciieves that (iod
is the hearer of prayer, but he does not believe that G(k1 ha^
already given him eternal life, if he would only bnt accept oi
it. So long as he is anxious he will pray — a minute, a
month, a year, till he either trust Christ and is savetl, or, as
is too often the case, till his anxiety leaves him. This i^
Hunyon's Slough of Dispond, out of which so many come
out at the wrong side. l. <;.

'•How reasonable,'"' writes one, "that we should just do
that one small act which (iod recjuires of us, .^-v^ ami tell linn
the truth. I used to go and say, Lord, I am a sinner, do
have mercv on me; but as I did not feel all this, I began to
see that 1 was taking a lie in my hand, trying to persuade
the Almighty that I felt things which I did not feel. These
prayers and confessions brought me no comfort, no answer:
so at last I changed my tone, and began to tell the truth —
Lord, I do not feel myself a sinner; I do not feel that 1 need
mercy. Now, all was right; the sweetest leception, the
most loving encouragements, the most refreshing answers,
this confession of the truth brought down from heaven. 1
did not get anything by declaring myself a sinner, for I fell
it not; but I obtained everything l)y confessing that 1 did
not see niNself one." ii. \\.

If we cannot go to God ivith a broken heart, let us go
to \\\\wfor one. The spirit brakes and binds.

n<^ hiin,
es from
I prayer
wailitii;
(ckcr of
resound
, II. s.

not ^o
Ih'sci'('/i-
hat (i(«l
Liod ha-'
icccpt of
inulc, a
l1, or, as

This i-
i\ conic
.1. (i.

just ilo

'«■// ///w

iicr, <lo

j^an to

)crsua{lc

rhcse

nswer:

truth —

1 need

PHAYtH.

lon, the
iiisvvers,
veil. 1
1 feh
It 1 did

H. 15.

How many overlook Christ's work /Jv them, and keep
prayinjr for some mysterous operation of the Spiiit -..vitliiii
them, of their own imaj^ininji;. There is no ol>jection to
feeHn<'- a> the effects of faith, but faitii as the effect ot feehni;
is most (hmji^erous. Trust in ////;/ ---not in sviial he \<.-ill do
for \()n. J. (;.

Lord, if what I ask does not jilei-se thee neither would
it please me. M\' desires are put into th\- hands to he cor-
rected; strike the pen through cverv petition that I offer
which is not ri<ijht,and. Lord, ):)'.it in whatever I ha\e omitted,
even thouijii I niiLjht not desire it, hear me as if ! had desire<l
it. L. n. s.

I'roin cvtTv sliiniiv wind lli:il Movw,
From cvt-rv swellim; tide of woes,
'I'licre is a c:i m, a suit rotrcat :
"I'is fmiiul liLiu-atli Uif Mercy-si-at.

'I'Irtc is a |)lacc -.vlicrc Jt'siis sliuds
The- oil of (fladness on our licads ;
A place than all beside more swect - ■
It is the Mood stained Mercv-seat.

'riiere is a scene where spirits Mend,
Where friend hoKIs fellowship with friend
'I'hounh sundered far, hv faitli we meet
Arciinid one common Miri v scat.

us J^O

!**■

.»'!

If '

II Hi

III

; i

OcjiSPKl..

Man must take frotn G<h1, l)efore (iod will take from
man. Man has most erroneous thoujjjhts of God, hence his
tardiness in believinj^ what He says in the Gospel. * *
There is not a sinj^le command j^iven in all the Word of
(jod, when ri<^htly understood, nor a moment's time allowed
the unsaved to pray for faith, or for the Spirit, or for any-
thing else. J. (;,

How simple and how i^racious the conditions of salva-
tion I There is no price to pay; there is no reward to brin<^;
Christ has paid all for you, and salvation is yours as a <:fratu-
ity. " W'iiosoever will, let him take the water of life /Vt'c/i'."
Nothing can he more free «.)r simple than this. Nothing can
be cheaper than gratuity; nothing easier than a simple trust.
Oh, how truly is the gospel good tidings of great joy I How
confidently may every heart-broken sinner come at once to
Christ antl find peace which " passeth all understanding."

{;. P. w.

ill

It Is not faith as a piece of money or a thing of merit;
but faith taking God at his word, and giving him credit for
speaking the honest truth, when he declares that " Christ
died for the ungodly" (Rom. v. 6), and that the life which
that death contains for sinners, is to be had •■' without money
and without price." n. n.

One offer of salvation,

To all the world made known;
The only sure foundation

Is Christ, the Corner -Stone.

GOSPEL.

Tell it over and over a^ain, since it is all in one word,
" CofHc.''^ Do not tell them to briny; any price; Do not tell
them to prepare themselves, and to do this or that, hut just
say, " (\i/j/(\ Cowi', Co/nc away from yourselves, ct>me, come
awav from vour sins, come, come awa^• from vour own
rij^hteousness, come to Jesus, come to Jesus, simier, come."

c. II. s.

Swi'i't tlie niotnents, ru'li in bli'ssiiiu,
Which liuforc thf tross I spend ;

I.ifc, :uul healtli, ami peace possessing;,
I'Voni the sinner's dying friend.

I. A 1. 1 IN.

The lovers of the <^ospel, it is said, are ^^cneially \ ery
poor, and unfashionable; and to unite with them is to lose
caste. Now, that is true, and it has always been so; from
the first day until now the jjjospcl has flourished most where
there has been least care for fasiiion and honor amontr nien ;
but, I wot, if ye be men, this will be a small concern with
vou. Only those who are not men, but niiinics of men, care
for such small matters. c. ii. s.

The j^ospel, strictly taken, contains neither "claims,"
commands, nor threateninjj^s, but is j^lad ti(lin«=js of salvation
to sinful men through Christ, 'evealed in doctrines and
promises; and these revealed to men as simiers, stout-hearted
and far from righteousness. In the (>ood iivzvs from heaven
of help in God through Jesus Christ, for lost, self-destroyeil
creatures of Adam's race, there are no precepts. The gospel
is the good news of salvation for lost sinners through the
sacrifice of Christ. w. k.

You must not soothe the alarms of conscience by this
earnestness of yours. It is unbelieving earnestness; aiul that
will not do. W^hat God demands is simple faith in the re-
cord which he has given you of his Son. You say, I can't
offer Him faith, but I can bring Him earnestness, and by

1(H)

Gl, HANINGS.

l^ivinjj Him tMnii-stiU'ss, 1 liopi- to pcrsiKuk' Iliin ;.i ^i\x' iiu-

faith. 'rhi> is sflf-ritrhlcoiisncs''.

li. I!,

lit

The j^ospel is not in ihc naluii- of ;i commuiiphuc iii\ i-
tation or human exhortation, which may he aitepted or re-
fused at will withont iiuoKin^ jrniU; hut it is a divine pio-
ilamation, issued from the throne of the Internal, which none
can reject without hecominjLj theivhv rehels aLjainst the
Inlinite Maje-<t\. Now, if this he so, let ns ][fi\e the divini'
etiict our mo^t earne>'t attention, and take heed what we hear.

I . II. s.

I licMril llu' ^jlatl y^ospel of " ir"'><.l will tu mt'ti:"'
I rcilil ■■ \vii(is()K\ !• i< " ;iir:iiii iiiul an.iiii:
I said to my soul, "Can tluil promise lu' lliiiu'"
.Ami tlii-n licij:iii iiofiiii; that Icsus was iiiiiu'.

Oil. mc-rcy surprisinj;! He sa\i-> cs<n iiu!
"'liiy portion for c\cr," lit says, ••will I lu-;"
On Mis won! 1 uni rcslmi;:— assuranci- 'iivinc--
I'm •' li'ipinj;- " no iDn^or— I knov lie is nunc.

She (i^azed in wonder — she knew siie was a sinner.

''Will \ on helieve (jod,'' 1 continued, ''that lie loved
\()U and <j;i\e vou His Son, tlie ijlorious Prince of princes,
who once died, hut is riow ali\e ai^ainr''" She lookeil ama/ed
and tremhliiiLj saiil, —

•'May i:-"'

"Not only ha\e 1 authority to tell \()u that you ma\,
huj God has coinmanded \()U to do it, and you will never
please Ciod half so much, although you toiled, and wept, and
prayed for a million years, as h\ ohevini( His \ oice and tak-
inir His •rift."' w. p. m.

They are lookinji^ into their own hearts for peace, and
they mi<^ht as well look into the l)ottomless pit for peace.
The ji^round of jieace is not there, but in Christ, and the
proof of my interest in Him is not there, but in the .Script-
ure. " Christ died for our sins," accordinij^ to the scripture.

c. H. s.

COS I' 1-1.

It i^ ;i Iu';irts()iiu' >-iL;lit to-i'i- ;i m;iii on his Uiu'c^- in rij^'iit
I'.iriK'st, luit it is ;i ln-tliT ^\'j^\)l siiH. to -i-r him iniii^in'^ (iod
for the uiisj)L';ik;iMi' 'L;"ifl whiih Ik- lias //,i:.- /•,■(■,/;•((/. I wi^li
to ."iiTcst \-our .ittcntinii to thi' f;irt th;it pr;t\iiiL;' in ,m.'iuT;il,
fo|- \vh;it (iod is hi'scH'i.'hin;_j \(>ii to /iikt\ is iiu oiii^rinoiis jnul
(Itci-ptiN f. A httlc- ihoiijjfht ;iih1 stiidv of iIk- Word of (Jod,
will soiiii hriii'j \ou to s(.-i' ih;it. no doiiht. i. d.

The i"c;idi'r will not, I tnisf, think th;it

, I

in:ni\-

]irc'cioiis promises contMim-d in (iod's word ;irc |)';i. ed tlieir
mc'i"el\- to 111! up till.' p;iL;es, or that thcv arc Inteinled fo'-
others than himself. What woidd 'e the rea(...r\ fccliiv^^ if
told h\- a \(ii(<' I)i\ine that none of them reallv di;! !ii'lon<j^
tohimr N this not a pioper "luestion"' Th' win not
;msw\ it : e. ii. s.

II.

* * 'I'he nioJiis opcraiiili K\{ sahation. as wr find it

<lesciihed in the scripture: here it is in a nutshell. We ha\e
all l)r()ken (iod's law, and we are iustl\- eondemmd on ae-
count of it. (iod, in inlliute nierc\ , desirin;^ to sa\c the >ons
of men. has '4i\en I lis Son [esus to stand in thi' room, placi',
and stead of asman\' asheliexc in him, Jesus hecame a sul)-
stitute of his j)eoj)le, and suffeied in their stead, and for them.
The debt of pimishment (\\\\: to (iod was paid hx Jesus
Christ upon the cross of C'aharv. All who lielie\e in liim
are thereby cleared before the bar of (Hvine justice. Now,
the Lord having nri\en iiis Son, has ie\ealed this <j;^reat fact
in His Word. Here it is in this inspired book the full
statement of it~to this effect, that (iod was in Christ recon-
ciliufj the world unto himself, not imputing- tlu'ir trcsjiasse^
unto them, and that whosoe\er beliexeth ni the Loid Jesns
Christ hath exerlastinjjj life. This is (iod's testimoin. We,
who are here present, or at least the bulk of us, Icnow that it
is CJotrs testimony, and all we ha\e to d.o in order to realize
the residt of Christ's jxission is simjily to lielieve the
testimonv of (iod concernint^- it, and rest nj)on it. Tlie
arjj^uement runs thus: Christ saxeth those who trust Ilim; I
trust Ilim, and, therefore, 1 inn saved. (. . ii. s.

!;i

102

GLEANINGS.

'liulplcss I am, and full of guilt,
IJut yet for nif Thy blood was spill
And Thou caiis't make me what Tliou wilt,
And take me (fv / am.

.So if, in teachinji^ the jj^ospel, we do not hej^iii at the
bej^inning; — if, for instance, we tell the sinner what he has
to do, before we tell him what God has done; if we tell him
to examine his own heart before we tell him to study the
cross of Christ; — we take out the whole ji;ladness from the
glad tidinfijs, and preach "another j^ospel." ir. n.

"Mow sad! Another gospel I Oh I dear Lord Jesus,
how little is known of 77n' finished -cork — the efficacy of
/7/r precious blood — even in this land. j. i;.

Many a man is saved, and for a time question the truth
of the gracious work, but in due time the blessing is made
clear to him. When a man trusts Jesus as these ten lepers
did, and act upon his trust, good always comes of it. See
the ten men ! they must start on their walk before they feel
the healing; but as they are going they shall feel it. * *
While I was coming to Christ I did not know that I was
coming; and when I looked to Christ, I scarceh' knew
whether it was the right sort of a look or not, but when I
felt at last that Jesus had healed me, then I knew what I had
done. Many a blessing God has given me as to which I
have not found out that I had it till some time after my re-
ception of it. Many a man wishes he was humble, and he
is humble because he does not think he is humble. Manv a
person sighs, "I wish I had a tender heart," but I am sure
that his heart is tender because he mourns its hardness.

c. H. s.

GOSPEL.

103

Come VI' simuTs, poor and neeily,
Weak ■.nul wounded, sick and sore;

K'sus ready stands to save yon,
Full of pity, love and power:
He is able,

lie is willin}^: doubt no more.

Let not c:)nscicnce make you linnet,
Xor of fitness fondly dream :

All the fitness He re(]uircs
Is to feel your need of Him.
Tliis he >;ives vo\i:

'lis the Spirit's risinjc l'e;im.

There must lie some (lejjfvcc of knowledge before there
can be faith. I5y searching the scriptures comet h know-
leds^e, and by kiiowledfje cometh faith, and throujj^h faith
Cometh sahation. I should not only read the vScriptures, and
undertsand them, but that 1 should receive them in my soul
as beiiiir the very truth of (iod, and should devoutly with
my whole heart, receive the whole of Scripture, as 'leinjj^ in-
spired of the Alost High, and the whole of the doctrine
which requires me to believe to my salvation. * * True
faith gives its full assent to the Scriptures; it takes a page,
and says:— "No matter what is in the page, I believe it.''

c. H. s.

Thus faith is the bond between us and the Son of God;
and it is so, not because of anything in itself, but because it
is only through the medium of truth, as known ;'nd believed,
that the soul can get hold of things or persons. Faith is
nothing, save as it hiys hold of Christ; and it does so by lay-
ing hold of the truth or testimony concerning him. -^'^aith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the rcnrd of iiod^'' says
the apostle. "Ye shall know the truth^'' says the Lord,
"and the truth shall make you free." ii. n.

I have read it a hundred times, that Jesus came 'to seek
and to save that which was lost,' and the same truth runs
throughout the whole Word of God, and yet I never saw it

• 'it e

104

GLEANINGS.

until now. Oh, how blind I have been to the glory of Jesus I
Plow sad to tliinU, that I have read so much about Ilim with
the veil upon my heart, and have never seen His gloiy as a
Saviour till this blessed hoin- ! I wished that every one
could see the I^ord as I now saw Ilim. I wondered that
they (lit! not; and I thoufjht, I could point Ilim out to them
so clearly and distinctly, as made of God unto us 'wisdom,
and ri<ifhteousness, and sanctitication, and redemption,' that it
would be impossible for them not to believe in Him, receive
Him as theirs, and be filled with heaveidy joy: but I found
that 'old Adam was too stronj^ for voun*:^ Melancthon.'

n. 15.

lli'lpless I am, aiul full of Huilt-
Hut yet for me Thy blood was spilt,
And I'liou ran'st make mc what 'riiou wilt.
/Jnf taki' nil' ax [ nm .'

vScores of anxious people ha\ e been deluded into the
idea that they knew the li^ospel when some pleasing emotion
passed through their minds. When JSatan sees people awak-
ened, and that he cannot keep them cjuiet, he takes his stand
beside the preacher of the gospel, and while he is inxiting
them to the rock, Satan pushes out planks of feeling. I
am therefore suspicious'when a person tells me he is 'a little
better.' If he does not believe the gospel, he has no right to
be any better, and if he has taken the good news to himself,
he is cntitletl to be at perfect peace. w. i*. m'k.

'Whosoever luaielh !" shout, slioiil the sound !
Send the li.essed tidin<js all the world around '.
Spread tlic ioyfnl news wlu'rever man is found ! —
"Whosoever will mav come."

"I ha\e been hearing," said he, "a most earnest dis-
course; we have been urged and entreated to 'come to
Christ;' and I felt as if I had been sitting on nettles all the

i f

mor. I
^a little
i<!^ht to
limself,

GOSPEL.

lOS

time, for he never told us now to come to Him. Can you
tell me ?

"Can you fly to Him ?" "No, I cannot do that." "Can
you walk on your feet to Christ ?" "No." The preacher
then told him that Christ, thoup^h iji heaven, was beside him
on earth, loving him with a deep, strong and tender love —
eagerly anxious to save him. He was pointed to the mani-
festation of it on the cross, and shown that with his miinf
and hearty and not with his body, he was to go to Jesus — in
(jther words, he ivas to believe on Him zv/io died that he
might live. "Is that it ? Is it so simple r I see it now."

N. II.

If you imagine that any sinner is zcorthy of salvation, you
(juite mistake the nature of the gospel. It is a free gift, not
a reward. No one is worthy. If he regards our sin as no
objection, why should we ? Jesus knows that tilthy rags
cover you, that a loathsome disease infects you; yet he says,
"Come unto me !" On account of these verv things, he
savs, Come! How unreasenaV)le, then, for yojt to refuse be-
cause you are unworthy. You might as well say you were
too hungry to eat, or too poor to receive help, as that you
are too unworthy to come for pardon. Your very unworth-
iness makes you welcome. But you say vou cannot come
;is you ought. Then come as you can. Jesus did not say,
"Come unto me running, or walking upright," but simply
•'Come." Come in any manner, and you will be received.
Come creeping, crawling, any way, only come. Nay, you
thiidv yourself much more willing to be taught than he is to
teach: more willing to be blessed than he is to bless.

You say, I must ivait till God enlightens my mind. If
(jod had told you that waiting is the way to light, you would
be right. But he has nowhere told you to ivait ; and your
idea of waiting is a mere excuse for not trusting him immed-
iately. H. B.

And if yon ^ O anxious one^ xcill nozt: agree to God'^s
method of tranferring all that the law demands of vou to
Jesus, who lived imdtr the law, ubeyed it perfectly, and, in

L..

* : '

106

GLEANINGS,

death, cnclured its penalty, ymi will obtain pardon, peace,
grace, and holiness; the full tide of the love of God whic li
passcth knowledj^c will flow into your soul, and, in the
spirit of adoption, you will cry, "Abba, Father.'" w. u.

.' i.

■■ t:

i
1

■;

: '■' I:?

' i

* * In. the morninjij it seemed as if an inwai'd voice ^aid
to me, "\\ hat are you waitin<j^ for ?" * * Are you en-
deavorin<r to vsork out a righteousness of voiu* own ?

Just at this point the whole cjuestion of (Jospel salvation
opened to my mind in a manner mf)st marvelous to me at the
time. I think I tiien saw as clearly as 1 ever ha\ e in m\
live, the realilv and fulness of the atonement of Christ. I
saw that his work was a Hnished work; and that instead <>f
having" or n(edin<j^ any riji^hteousness of mv own to recom-
mend me to (jnd, 1 had to submit myself to the rii>hte()us-
ness of God throu<^h Christ. Gospel salvation seemed to me
to be an offei- of something to be accepted ; and that it ^\ a^^
full and complete; and that all that was necessarv on nu
part, was to get my own consent to give up my sins and
accept Christ. vSalvation, it seemed to me, instead of being
a thing to be wrought out, by my own works, was a thing
to be found entirely in the Lord Jesus Christ, who prescntid
himself before me as my (jod and my vSaviour.

I had intellect uallv believed the Bible before; but ne\ er
had the truth been in mv mind that faith was a voluntar\
trust instead of an intellectual state. I was as conscious as 1
was of my existence, of tiusting that moment in GchTs
veracity. * * I cried to him, "Lord T take thee at th\
word. Now thou knowest that I do search for thee with all
my heart, and that I have come here to pray to thee; and
thou hast promised to hear me."

That seemed to settle the question that I could then, that
da}', perform my vow. The Spirit seemed to lay stress upon
that idea in my text, "When vou search for me with all your
heart." * * I told the Lord that I should take him at his
word. * * Other promises I took as infallible truth. * *
I seized hold of them, appropriated them, and fastened upon

GOSPEL

107

them with the ^yrasp of a (hvnvnino: man. * * I found
that my mind had hccunic wonderfully quiet and peaceful.

orrow for sin

cause o

f it

s consequen

G. I

ices, must he

distino^uished from sorrow for sin because of its sinfulness. *
It is not the "goodness of the sinner that leads God to repent-
ance, but it is the <roodness of God that leads the sinner to

repentance.

Oh ! it is a sitrht of the cross that makes us hate

>in — it is there we see it in its true liuht. Does the soldier

widow kiss the Indlet that
sin be hated.

killed her husl)and

So shoidd
I. <;.

If we want to know the Gospel and be saved, -cc must
ki}io~i.' ycsies as our Sii/-bcarcr ; for ''Christ crucified is the
sum of the j^^ospel and the richness of it. Paul was so taken
with Jesus that nothinj^ sweeter than Jesus could droj) from
his pen and lips. It is observeil that he hath the word
Jesus five hundred times in his e])istles.''" * * "Jkscs"
was his C(;nstant subject of meilltation, and out of the j^jood
treasine of the heart his mouth spoke and his pen wrote.

w. R. H.

Remember that the <i^ospel is not a list of duties to be
performed, or feelin<:^s to be produced, or frames which we
are to prav ourselves into, in order to make God think well
of us, and in order to lit us for receivinjj pardon. The ji^os-
pel is the j^ood news of the p^reat work done ujjon the cross.
The knowledge of that finished work is immediate peace.

H. H. ■

How firm a foundation, yc saiiUs of the Lord.
Is laid for your faith in His cxcellL-nt wiirdi
Wliat more fan He say than to you Ho Iiath said,
Von who unto Icsus for rt-lui^c have (led?

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,

I will not, I will not. desi rt to its foes:

'riiat soul, thouLjh all hell should endeavoi to shake,

I'll never, no never, no never, forsake!

Kkith.

i:i

iifi

!iii

Atonembnt.

Just as it is the duty of th.. physician to prescribe, and
the lawyer to plead, it is of Christ to save. * * When you
<^o to Jesus and ask him to save you, you ask him just what
he has graciously undertaken to do. * * But you answer,
"Ah, but I have not a willing heart." Then he says, "Him
that Cometh unto me — vvhether vou be athirst, or whether
you have a willing: heart or not"---"I will in nowise cast

out.

J- f.

Martin Luther hammered on the words, "He gave him-
self for our sins!''' "There," said Luther, "it does not say
that he gave himself for our virtues. He thinks more of our
sins than our virtues!'' "Oh," says a man, "I would come
to Christ if I were cleaner." Man, Christ did not die for the
clean', he died for the Jilt hy., that he might make them clean.
Oh, the splendor of the grace of God ! Our sins stand like
some tremendous mountain, and the grace of God plucks
that mountain right up by the roots and hurls it into the sea.
It shall never be seen again. Christ's blood shall cover it.
Christ shall be seen, not you. c. h. s.

J ii

The scheme of redemption is founded upon justice and
not upon mere mercy. j . g.

ATONEMENT,

109

Capt. Hedley Vicars read in his Bible these well known
words: "The blood of Christ his Son cleanscth us from all
sin," closing the book he said, "If this be true for me, hence-
forth I will (live by the grace of God, as a man should live
who has oeen washed in the blood of Christ."

ibe, and
lien you
ist what
answer,
s, "Him
whether
,'ise cast
J- <-•

We are saved by grace, free grace, pure grace, grace
without regard to merit or to the possibility of such a thing,
and many of us have been saved by grace of the most
aboiDiding and extraordinary sort. c. h. s.

The same book that alarms you by telling you that you
me lost in Adam — that there is a judgment seat, and a hell,
also comforts you by telling you that Christ has taken away

vour snis.

J. G.

ve him-

not sa}-

|e of our

1 come

for the
n clean.
,nd like

plucks
the sea.
lover it.

H. s.

Hce

J. G.

and

The very essence of any criminal law is the penalty in-
flicted on those who transgress its enactments. Thus, while
some will suffer the awful penalty attached to the God's law
which they have broken, the believer accepts Christ, the
divinely appointed substitute and escapes. If these two
classes were made manifest at birth, there would be no "good
news" to preach "in all the world;" inasmuch as the one
class would not need hear it, and to the other class by no
possibility could they be benefited by it; nor would Christ
under such circumstances have commanded it — the "good
news" — to be preached ''to every creature." Such, however,
is not the case. Notwithstanding the great diversity as to
personal appearance, life is sustained in all alike by breathing
the same air with lungs similarly formed. In like manner,
notwithstanding the great diversily as to the moral, intellec-
tural, physical and financial position of mankind, all, without
one exception, are equally guilty before God, and are alike

V ■''•■,,

110

G L E A N I N (i S .

If!^:

under the same condeniiiation as breakers of God's riefhteou-
law. There is a ^reat (hfference lutween a mouse and an
elej)haiit, yet, in order for them to be sa\ed, the}' both abkc
were obliiied to enter the ark and bv the same door.

If Christ is not the •S//l)stih/U\ he is nothing to the
sinner. If he (Hd not liit as the S/u-drarcr^ he has died in
vain. Let us not lie decei\e(l on tiiis jjoint, nor misled b\
those who, when thev announee Christ as the deliverer,
think they have pleached tiie <j;ospel. If 1 throw a rope to
a drowinjT man, I am a deliverer, l^ut is Christ no moie
than that? If I cast myself into the sea, and /-/s/: myself to
save another, I am a deliverer. lUit is Christ no more? Did
he but r/s/c his life? The very essence of Christ's deliver-
ance is the substitution of Himself for us, his life for ours.
He did not come to ri's^- his life; he came to die ! He did
not redeem us by a little loss, a littU; sacrifice, a little labour.
a little sufferin<^, "He redeemed us to God by his blood."''

II. H.

Many men here should be in doubt on account of ij^nor-
ance, let me, as plainly as I can, state the gospel. I believe
it to be wrapt up in one word — Surstitutiox. I have al-
wavs considered, witli Luther and Calvin, that the sum and
substance of the jjospel lies in that word. Substitution.,
Christ standin*^ in the stead of man. If I understand the
<2^ospel, it is this: I deserve to be lost and ruined; the only
reason why I should not be damned is this, that Christ was
punished in my stead, and there is no need to execute a sent-
ence twice for sin. c. h. s.

He tells you that either you are too bad, or not bad
enough. Now Jesus Christ came to seek and to save the
lost. A man who said of himself that he was the chief of
sinners is in heaven long ago. The blackest, vilest, most

ATONEMENT.

Ill

debased, most dchauclicd, polluted, liltln, unclean, hard-
hearted, e\ il-teuipered, lyin<;, covetous, thiex in<^, nnirderous,
<(raN-haired sinner that ever tottered on this side of the jijrave,
is reached hv llim wlio hnni,^ between two theixes for sin.
God says it: that is all. We cannot understand it. Oidy
this, He chose to do it, and now he tells us. His voice, dear
sinner, is still deejjer than von, "C('ine unto me " A thief
that had reviletl L'hiist after the hand of tleatli was on him,
is in Paiatlise, \\ e know. Whv n(H von ? And why not be
sa\eil now ? If not now, it mav be never. w. v. M.

Dost thoii l)elie\e that Jesus is the Christ? Wilt thou
trust thy soul with Ilimr \Vell, if thou dost, thy transtrres-
sions are not thine, for thev were laid on llim. They are
not on thee, foi', like ever\thin<^ else, thev cannot be in /ico
places at the same time; and if thev were laid on Christ, they
are not laid on von. c. ii. s.

I sometimes wonder how people can entertain a doubt
as to the ability of Christ to save them. It is like a man
coming to a tlead halt ])efore Lontlon (England) bridge
and hesitates to cross for fear the bridge will not bear him.
How cixn you dear readers doubt the power of Christ's death
to save vou to the uttermost r Has not that blood washed
awav the detilement of all God's people ? M. s. «.

If you can save yourselves by your works, go and do so,
fools that you are, for you might as well hope to drink dry
the vVtlantic. If you believe in self-salvation, I am hopeless
of doing you any good till you are exhausted of your
strength, when you are weak and sick, and ready to die,
then you will be willing to accept the free salvation of
Chrit, the guilty and ungodly alone are objects of mercy. *
It is not thy doing, nor thy prayer, tears, preachings, hear-

'i!

112

GLEANINGS

ings, or anythin"^ else thou can'st do, or feel, or be. Thou
art saved by giviiij^ up self entirely, and restinj^ wholly on
the crucified redeemer. c. h. s.

'I.

It is true, Christ did not suffer eternal destruction in hell;
but he was a person so f.{loriousand excellent-God's our vS(mi
that His short sufferinjifs were etjual in value to our eternal
agonies. So that, in the eyes of the law, and in (iod's
account, Jesus has suffered all that you and I were condemn-
ed to suffer. * * Keej) looking then to Jesus, dear soul,
and you will have the peace that passeth all imderstanding.
whenever Satan accuses you, sctul him to the stripes of tlu-
Lord Jesus. h. m. m\ .

We must see Jesus as a Substitute^ instead of a mere
help antl this will soon put a stop to our reasonings.

c. n. s.

Our most effecti^e revival preachers now disparage all
trust in frames and feelings, telling sinners to look to Christ
on the Cross, instead of searching for Christ in the heart ; to
receive the testimony of the Word to their acceptance, when
they have believed, instead of searching for the testimony of
consciousness. This we strongly believe to be the true-
gospel . A. J. (;.

\' i

Sweet the moments, rich in blessings,
Which before the Cross I spend ;
Life, and health, and peace possessing.
From the sinner's dying Friend.

Here I sit in wonder viewing-
Mercy streaming in His blood ;
Precious drops, my soul bedewing.
Plead and claim my peace with God.

t Jesus Onlv.

When a man dioamcth that he is able at any time to re-
pent and beheve, and to do an\ thintj;^ for hinisell that is
wanted, he is not likely to come and by a simple faith iei)ose
in Christ. It is not what you have not^ but what you have
that keeps many of you from Christ. Sinful sclj"\s a devil,
but rightcoits self is seven devils combined. The man who
feels himself jijuilty may for a while be kept away by his
guilt, but the man who is self-ri<j^hteous will never come;
until the Lord has taken his pride away from him. He will
still refuse the feast of free grace. The possession of abili-
ties^ honors and riches keeps men from coming to the Re-
deemer, c. H. s.

Others, though not many, seemed to love Jesus, and I
used to envy them, and try to work myself up to love Him
too. Why could I not ? Simph- because 1 did not leally
believe that he had loved me, and that his death and resur-
rection could save me alone, without anything to be done on
my part, * I do not need to try to love Him now. I can-
not but love him. * * I see now he bore my sins in his
own body on the tree. j. g.

I can imagine Christ saying to Peter: "Search for the
man that drove the spear into my side, and tell him there is
a nearer way to my heart than that. Tell him I forgive him
freely, and that he can be saved if he will accept of salvation
as a gift." D. L. M.

! •• ■'

I jit! ? ^

» ■ 't.

■:- ;■ t

114

G L E A N I N ( I S .

TtM-rihlc, however, as is the con(litif)iis of ihe sinner, yet
•Trace !> re;i(iv to save hiin to the uttermost, [ust hceaiisc
man is hv nature lost, therefore (io 1 h is i^iven His Son,
"that whosoever helieveth in Him should not perish, hut
have everlastin.t^ life." H sin has ahounded, ^race has nuifh
more ahounded, so that the imputation of /Vdam's jjuill ;
with its eon->e({Uent jud;4ment of death, the inherent depra-
vitv of the natural heart, oi- the oft-recniriui^ sins of daily
life, are more than met hy the transcendent salvation of the
Son of ( 1(1(1. The imputation of .Adam's ^uih, is ovc-r-
halaneed hv the imputation of C/irist^s r:'n/iici)its/u\ss.

M. s. JJ.

X<j, my hrethren, hardened a man may he; he may have a
heart of stone, (»f steel ; he may <;lory in iiis olului'acy ; Init if he
has ever li>«tened to that tale of io\ e and sorrow, he has not
heen whollv unmoveil. No, no, no, it cannot he ! We ha\e
aiiiouLCst us a class of peojjle, who are always cryin;^ out —
"No excitement, we (lo not want excitement in reli<;ion."
Verv well, let them <i^et a preaclrer who knows nothing of
Christ crucitied in the heart, and says nothin<j;- oi Christ
crucilied in the puli)it, and he will walk at their head, and
lead them quietly and comfortahly enoujjjh down to hell.
The Cross will excite. m. c.

Comini; to Jesus is the desire of the heart towards Him.
It is to feel our sin and misery; to helie\e that He is willinj^
and ahlc to pardon, comfort and save us; to ask Him to help
us, and to trust in Him as our friend. To have just the same
feelinj^s and desires as if He were visihly present, and we
came and implored Him to l">less us, is to come to Him,
though we do not see his face nor hear his voice. Poor sin-
ner! your very desire for pardon, your prayer, "Jesus, save
me!" — this is coining to Him. n. h.

The gospel does not come to you and say, "Whosoever
waits for impressions shall be saved;" but it says, "Believe

JESUS ONLY.

lis

oil the Lord, ]csus Christ." Kxcrciscthe personal, vohnitaiv,
iulciitioiial act of faiih and \(»ii shall he saved. However
little youi- kiiowleiliLje, l)elie\e in Jesus as far as you know
i lim. t . M. s.

No, it never was too late for l\ini that would look. If miy
man locjked at the serpent, /ic /ixcii. Whoever \()U are,
whatever von are, there is the Lord's ^vor(l to yoii. '' U7/o-
soevi'r helie\eth in Ilini shall not perish/' \'ou can find
nothin*^ to shut you out. Jesus Christ is now willin<ij and ahle
to save I'o//.

"But '■Ih-Ii^I'IH^'' — what is that and; and how am 1 to he-
lieve in Ilim?"

Trust Him -as yo/ir Saviour. No words ahont faith help
us much. It sprin<,fs up out of the heait when we look at
what |esus has done for us. m. o. i'.

Seek to distinj^uish hetween the j)eaee made for us for-
e\er hy the hlood of Christ, and peace with st/f\ which may
he disturhed hy our unj^uarded work. The former^ l)lessed
])e God, can never he touched, the latter^ alas, ahis, can.

.). (i

" Whosoever Cometh unto me I wiH in nowise cast out."
No thoughtful person can read these wonderful words
from the lips of Christ without feelinj^'- a somewhat painful
consciousness as to his inahilily to extract from them the
spiritual nutriment he feel assured the\ are desij^ned to con-
tain. T. s. s.

I am a poor sinner, and nothing at all, but Jesus Christ
is mv all in all.

Savs one, "There is a Christ for every sinner out of
hell^ and a hell for every sinner out of Christ.

fj^rwpMM

116

GLEANINGS

A man may get into the church without Christ, but he
cannot get into hcavoi without Christ.

There is nothing, once said a dying lady, "but Tesus
Christ between mc and weeping, and wailing, and gnashing
of teeth."

Salvation is not by what you brittg to Christ, but by
what you ta/:c from Him. In your first coming you come
empty, having nothing but your sins and misery; as empty,
undeserving: sinners you receive of his fullness. This is the
only plan of salvation. How long do you hesitate? This is
the way, the safe way, the suitable way, the only way which
is open to you, and it is open to you at this very moment;
will your feet never tread it? Never, never think of putting
your own righteousness side by side with the divine^ nor of
mixing your tears with Jesus' blood. j. g.

- ^ ill I

I Pt

i v^ ^-

Love cannot forgive sin — nor can power. The king
would outrage right and justice, who rescues his favorites
from prison, saying, "I am king, I will do as I like." God
himself cannot forgive sin. It would be breaking the eter-
nal law — a transgression of eternal right. Love cannot pass
sin over; omnipotence can?iot make light of it. But the
Father gave His only begotten Son to suffer our penalty in
stead and room of us — made an atonement for our sins.

M. G. p.

"I suppose it is almost impossible to explain what it is
to come to Christ, it is so simple. It is just believing what
God sa3's about His Son. If the Lord persuades you of
the glory and power of Immanuel, you cannot but choose
Him. It is like opening the shutters of a dark room ; that
moment the sun shines in. So the eye that is opened to the
testimony of God receives Christ at that moment."

R. M. m'c.

JESUS ONLY.

117

True trust in Christ is an entire reliance n-pon Mini.
This day, if j'ou trust Christ, you rest the whole vveifi^ht and
stress of your soul's affairs upon Him. Lookinj:^ at your sin
and your sinfulness, looking at the past, the present, and the
future, looking at death and at judgment, you deliberately
believe that Christ is equal to every emergency, and you just
cast yourself entirely and without reserve uj)on Ilnn to save
you, and to keep vou saved for e\er. No other trust is worth
a pin except this. It must be an absolute severance from all
reliance upon your past merit, or upon vour present resolu-
tions, or upon your future expectations of what you shall be
or shall do. You must have done with all other trust if
Christ is vour confidence. ' f. ii. s.

Al:i.sl and did iny Savio\ir bleed?

And did my Sovcieitrn die?
AN'otild He devote that .sacred luMii

For such a worm as I ?

Was it for crimes that 1 had done
He sifroaned upon the tree?

Amazinj^ pity! jjrace unknown I
And love beyond dcjjrce.

"This little book unites in the entkeaty, poor sinners,
and with all earnestness, plainness and affection, implores you
to come to Jesus, come to Jesus, come to Jesus. Jesus now
stand with open arms. Co.r.e with all your sins and sorrow,
come just as you are, come at once. He will in no wise cast
you out. Come to Jesus, come to Jesus." n. h.

I know that I cannot keep the law of God, and the
doctrine of my text makes it impossible beyond all other im-
possibilities, because the law accuses me of doing wrong even
when I do not intend it, and am not conscious of it. The
royal road to heaven is paved with grace: God forgives the
guilty freely becayse they trust in Christ. c. h. s.

118

GLEANINGS.

One; said to me : "I would like to be a <jood Christian,
but how to be one, I kn()\v not. I have, etc., etc., * *
all alonfjf felt an achin<r void — a vacuum that wants flllinu-
up." lie was directed to "^ov/.v cw/j','''' and soon foimd
peace in belieAin*^. .1. g.

\Vh

y will you keep on procrastinating^, and cryinj^;.

"To-morrow, to-morrow, and to-morrow

\\'h\- should

it be alwa\s to-morrow ? There will be no to-mcjrrow of
liope for you when once y<nt are lost. Flee now to Christ.

c . II. s.

I must sav that I have ne\er had so close and satisfac-
tory a view of the <i;ospel, as when I ha\ e been led to con-
template it in the lij^ht of a simple offer on the one side, mid
a simi:)le acceptance on the other. It is just sayings to one
and all of us, "•There is forij^iveness throujyh the blood of m\
Son: take it and whosoever believes the reality of the offer,
takes it. It is not in any shape the reward of our services.
It is the ^'vy? of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. r. c.

Would vou voke an Emmet with a Seraph ? If >ou
did, they would make a far more equal pair, than Christ and
self. Loath, abhor, detest everything like confidence in
yourself, or in your fellow men, or sacraments, or in creeds.

"Oil Christ the soliil rock I stand ;
All other ground is sinking sand."

C. H. S.

I< !'

As for me, I belie\e my Lord to be just such a Savioiu"
that I can trust my soid, or if I had a million souls, I woidd
freely trust the Lord Christ with the whole of them, and I
would say, "I am persuaded that he is able to keep that
which I have committed to him a^^ainst that dav." Do not
suppose that I speak thus because I am conscious of any
goodness of my own. Far from it; my trust is in no degree

I E S I J S O N L Y.

119

ill myself, or anvthin^j;' 1 can do or be. If I were _52;ood T
could iu)t trust in ycs/zs. \\'h\- '-hould I ? 1 should trust
in myself. I3ut because I have not hi no- of \w\ own, I am
obliged \.o li\'e by trust, and I am rejoiced that 1 do so. My

Lord crives me unlimited credit at the Baid< of Faith.

H. s.

One man says, "My heart is so hard."" Well, that is
just the :vvi' reason \\\\\ you ou,n"ht to come. If \ ou had
not a hard heart you would not need a Sayiour. Can \'ou
soften your own heart .' Can you break your own heart .'
Did not Ciod in\ ite the hard-hearted .' Did not Christ come
on purpose to seek and saye that which war. lost ? It is just
because men's hearts are haixl that they need a vSaviour.
(lod inyites all such. He invites '•^i.vhosoever^'' and aou can
come alon'j witli your iiard heart. d, r.. m.

Sinners, in Old Testament limes, were sa\ed by looking
forzcard io the cross and He who died theieon. Xow-adav
sinners are sayed by looking" bael:ieard thereto. Hut after
they arc sayed, of course they look to this crucified Christ,
seated at the ]'^atlier''s rii^ht hand. ]. g.

Why you poor \yretched sinner, you say, "I cannot be
sa\e{i, I am not a saint.*'' Who said } ou were a saint? It is
Christ's work to make \()U a saint. "Oh, but I do not repent
as I should." It is Christ's work to make you rejieiit as \ou
should, to him you must come for repentance, "(jh, but my
heart won't break." It is Christ who is to break your heart,
not you who are to break it, and then C(jme to him wi'.n it
ready broken. Christ is a Sayiour that bef^ins the alphabet
of mercy at A. He does not ask you to oret as far as IJ, C,
D, and promises then to meet you: but he be<iiiis at the be-
<(inninjj^. (.-. ir. s.

Come then wear}, hunfj^iy sinner; \()U have nothinjj^ to
do but to take Christ. You haye not got to bake the breacl,

120

GLEANINGS

jii

or broil the fish. The bread and fish are broken, blest and
ready. Open your mouth and enjoy the food. Faith to receive
what Christ provides is all that is needed. Lord grant it.
Take salvation freely. Freelv Tesus fjives it to you. Take
it. c. H. s.

.Suppose the reader's father left a lengthy will disposing
of a large estate, while the reader would be interested in its
whole contents he would be intensely more so in the para-
graph heqiicathing him his portion. In like manner
while we are deeply interested in the whole of God's word
we are infinately more so with those portions which distinct-
ly bequeath to us salvation through the atonement made by
our Saviour substitute Jesus Christ. t. s. s.

J»3 J

My hope is buili on nothling- less
Than Jesus' blood and rig-htcousness ;
I dare not trust tlie sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinkings sand.

vSome brethren are a little cloudy in their talk about
man's salvation; but when you get to the inner experience of
all true believers, they will always tell you that they did not
save themselves and they agree that it was not by their own
will or merit that they were saved, but by the sovereign
grace of God alone. c. H. s.

Oh, be sure of this, he never sent his prophets to preach
to us a salvation which cannot be ours; he never sent his
apostles to report to us concerning a mere dream; he never
set the angels wondering at an empty speculation; he never
gave his Son to be a ransom which will not redeem, and he
never committed his Spirit to witness to that which after all
will mock the sinners need. No, he is able to save: there is
salvation, there is salvation to be had, to be had now, even
now. c. H. s.

JESUS ONLY.

121

The testimony of the Lord is si<rt\ iiiakino^ wise the
simple. The statutes of the Lord are rights rejoicin^j the
heart. The commandments of the Lord is pnri\ enH^hteninp^
the eyes. Ps. i, 14, 19, 7.

As T must stand before my jud«;e at hist, I feel that I
shall not make full jDioof oi \\\\ ministry unless I entreat yow
witii many tears that ye would he saved. Are all our en-
treaties lost upon vovi •' Sinner, I ha\ e p/eadeJ with you as
a man pleadeth with his friend. Were it for mv own life I
could not speak more earnestly. Come, I am not to be put off
by your rebuffs, my brother. I entreat you, I entreat you,
stop and consider, you rejectin«^, »,\:c. My brother, 1 c?nnot
bear that you should do this. The day is comincr when \'ou
will need a Sayiour.

Oh my brother, I cannot let you put away religion
thus; I should be worse than a fiend if 1 did not now, with
all loye, and kindness, and earnestness, beseech you to May
hold on eternal life.'' c. 11. s.

ll:

* ). i

%: :

creign

[preach

jnt his

neyer

never

land he

fter all

here is

'^, even

Ih. s.

The " coniing-^^'' here meant, is performed by desire^
prayer^ assent, consent, trust and obedience. * * I

believe in Jesus, and I say, " If He died for all those who
trust Him, I will trust Him, if He has offered so great a sacri-
fice upon the tree for guilty men, I will rely upon that sacri-
fice and make it the basis of my hope.*' That is coming to
Christ. * * If you are taught of the Father you
will know full well what coming to Christ means, but if not
so taught I fear that the plainest words will not make you
understand. c, h. s.

All will readily admit that there are on the earth
two classes only — the saved and the unsaved (known onl\' to
God.) The day is coming when they will be divided " as a
shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats,'' and thence-
forth there will be between them " a great gulf fixed," and
no further mingling together. Parents do not watch their

i, ;

122

GLEANINGS.

children for a certain period immediately after birth in order
to ascertain to which of these two classes they belong, know-
ing full well that all alike are "born and shapen in sin" — on
the "left hand." How is the " right hand" position gained,
is a question of infinite importance? The answer is accept
the righteousness of Him " who bore our sins in His own
body on the tree" — the Lord Jesus Christ. t. s. s.

I would say to every person present, whatever his char-
acter, if you sincerely seek mercy of God through [esus
Christ vou shall have it. c. n. s.

" Then am I to do nothing?"

v\bsolutely and literally nothing. Vou must take sal-
vation exactly as the thief on the cross did. He could not
turn over a new leaf; his last wretched leaf had been turned
in reviling his Saviour. He could not do any work for God,
for there was a nail through each hand; he could not run in
the way of (iod's commandments, for there was a nail
through his feet. And until you stand still and realize that
there is a nail through all vour self-righteous activity, and a
nail through all your carnal agility, and accept salvation for
nothing, knowing that you are saved simply on the authority
of the bare Word of God, you will never be saved. We do
not look inward to what we feel, nor outward to what we
do — but to the Son of man lifted up, and to God's account of
how well He is pleased with Jesus. w. p. m'k.

May those who sit in darkness, because they do not un-
derstand the freeness of salvation and the easy method by
which it may be obtained, be brought into the light by dis-
covering the way of peace through believing in Jesus Christ.

Cm n* S*

Whenever I have occasion to converse with personsof
this state of mind, I do not argue much with them. I set

1 in order
ng, know-
sin" — on
)n gained,
r is accept
His own
T. s. s.

JESUS ONl.Y.

123

before them the love of God in Christ, the fullness and free-
ness of the offer of salvation, and the sincerity of God in re-
vealing it to ns, and I urge them at once to submit themseves
to God ; not merely to be zvilling to do so, but actually to
do it. If thev will do this, I know that God will accept
them, and thj.t the evidence that He has done so will soon be
manifest. f. w.

11 I

r his char-
ugh [esus

C. H. S.

Arise, my soul, arist-l

Shake off thy guilty fears;

'rhe hleedinET saeritico

In my behalf apjiears.

Before tlic throne my Surety stands;

Mv name is written on 1 lis hands.

it take sal-
; could not
>een turned
k for God,
not run in
as a nail
ealize that
ity, and a
vation for
authoritv
We do
o what we
account of
p. m'k.

do not un-
method by
ht by dis-
sus Christ.

personsof
:m. I set

A lady when dying overheard some of her friends sav
in a whisper, "She is fast sinking," when she opened her
eyes and said, '■'• IIoxc can I sink through a rockV She was
resting on the Rock of Ages,

What a profound and glorious scheme the gospel inifolds
when seen aright! God's Gospel is not the superficial,
shallow affair, some seem to think it. The moment the
sinner believes, he dies with Christ, and raises with Him —

"a new creature.

J. Ci.

The arbitrator, puts it thus: — "I am most anxious that
these two shall be brought together, I love them both: I
cannot on the one hand rccommcd that my Father should
stain his honor; I cannot on the other hand, endure that this
sinner should be cast eternallv into hell: I will decide the
case, and it shall be thus: /will pay my Father's justice all
it craves; I pledge myself that in the fullness of time / xvill
suffer in my own proper person all that the %ueeping\,
trembling" sinner ought to have suffered. My Father, wilt
thou stand to this ?" The eternal God accepts the awful
sacrifice! What say you, sinner, what say you? Why, me

124

GLEANINGS

thinks you cannot have two opinions. If you arc sane — and
may God make you sane— -you will melt with wonder. * *
/ have sinned, and he declares that he ivill suffer for me.

c. II. s.

Do not seek Vi\ a course of duties, hv readingr the IJihlc,
by prayer and attendance on reli<^ious observances, and
breakinj^ off from your more open transf^ressions, to make
yourself so good that God will receive you on account of
vour moral improvement. There is no such way of salvation
revealed in the Scriptures. Vour best services, when wei<^h-
ed in the balance of infinite holiness, would only sink you
deeper in perdition. Help must come, and can come, only
from One mi<^hty to save. If ever you are saved, it will be
by free, sovereij^n grace, abounding to the chief of sinners.

F. W.

All are "condemned already," but only those who be-
lieve it reap the advantage of tTiis. Advantage! What ad-
vantage can there be in knowing I am condemned already?
Much, because onlv thev who believes themselves condemn-
ed can claim a vSaviour. ■ God has proved us all equally by
nature and practice '■'•under sii/ ;''"' lie now has placed all of
us who believe '■'•under grace." w. p. m.

him

There is a fountain filled with blood.

Drawn from Kinmaniier.s veins,
And sinners pUuifjed beneath that flood

Lose all their guilty stains.

"Then he stood awhile, and looked, and wondered, for
it seemed surprising that the sight of a Cross should so affect
him. He looked, therefore, and looked again, until the
springs in his head sent the waters down his cheeks." vSuch
is the simple, but beautiful language of Bunyan — language
that finds an echo in many a heart here; and I have only
to wave my hand thus, for hundreds in this house to stand up

JESUS ONLY.

125

and tell, with starting tears, of this mystery, this unsearchable
wonder of the Cross. Not only vou. Thousands in other
la'ids, thousands of the heathen, who were yesterday envelop-
ed in guilt and wretchedness, are to-day telling of this power
of the Cross, antl looking, and wondering, and looking again,
until their swelling hearts run over, and the floods roll down
th.eir cheeks. c. m.

If you seeking sinner, would but think more of Christ
all would be well. You who cannot believe, if you would
relincpiish your perpetual thoughts about your faith, and
even about your sins, and begin to think of him — the Son of
God, exalted to be a priest and a Saviour, the Christ whose
finished work is all for sinners. * * When vour whole
heart sets itself upon him and no more upon yourself, you will
enter into peace, and enjoy rest for your souls. c. ir. s.

Say, "Do you want to be saved?" "Yes." Then come
and welcome: believe in the Lord Jesus and he is yours.
Vou want Jesus Christ, do you ? "Yes." Come along: he
waits to be gracious; he is here present; and all you have to
do is to trust in him. I put this in a very simple way, but
there is very much in it. j. (i.

There is a Christ for every one, and therefore a Christ
for i'6»//. There is pardon iov yoit. The Holy Spirit ior you.
Eternal life iov yo/t inasmuch as Jesus Christ "tasted death
for every niaiiP , n. \\.

He who never seeks for mercy has certainly never found
it. Conscience acknowledges it to be a righteous thing with
God that he should not give to those who will not ask. It
is the smallest thing that can be expected of us that we
should humbly ask for the favors we need ; and if we refuse
to do so, it is but right the door of grace should be closed so
long as we refuse to knock. c. h. s.

?K J*

126

GLEANINGS,

If I did not know, in my very sjiil, that the hlood of
Jesus Christ his Son cleanscth ns from all sin, how could I
dare to face you with the gospel messa<;e ? I have not im-
pudence enoufifh to tell you of what mi<^ht be, or mij^ht not
be, about which 1 am uncertain myself. God j>^rant me
grace to break stones, or sweep chimneys, sooner tlian come
and tell you a cunningly devised fake, or a tale about which
1 had no assured certainty, derived from personal knowledge I

t . H. s.

When a man is really restless and concerned about his
soul, he has life of a kind, compared with the man who is
quite indifferent, but he has not spiritual -awC^ ctcrz/a/ Wic vet.
I John v. 12. The word of God abounds with illustrations
of this. An axvakoicd soul is not a saved soul. It is admitt-
ed however, that a man may possess real spiritual and eternal
lifc^ with little lioht in the following respects: He may not
know all that being saved implies, not even that he has
eternal life, thinking that he is only saved for the time being.
* * It is one thing to be saved, and to have light to know
that much; another thing to know those glorious profound
truths, which establish the soul, and furnish further motive
power for holiness and active service, namely, that we are
one with Christ forever. .1. g.

In manv there exists a doubt about the willingness of
God to save. They say, "I believe that the blood of [esus
Christ does blot out sin, but is he xvilling to pardon me y''
Now, listen to what Jehovah says, for he says it with an
oath^ and to me it is a very starling thing that God should
swear, he swears by himself, because he can swear by no
greater. Mark that ! "As I live, saith the Lord, I have no
pleasure in the death of him that dieth, but rather that
he turn unto me and live." Over and over again, in all sorts
of shapes, he gives us assurance that he delighteth in mercy.
Now then sinner, if you say God is unwilling, and Christ is
unwilling, and yet the Lord swears that he is willing, and
Christ dies to prove it — what then, is your unbelief ? You
charge God with perjury. c. h. s.

JESUS ONLY.

127

"Much is said on cominjj to Jesus, but how can I come?
lie is in heaven and how can I j^o there to speak to Iliin? I
am told lie is also everywhere, hut I cannot see Ilim, and
how, then, can I f^d to Ilim? If lie were but on earth, as
He once was, there is no trouble I would not take. 1 woidd
sell all I possess to pay for my journey; I would travel hun-
dreds of miles. No difliculties should daunt me. I would
set off at once. I would <to to Ilim, and push my way
through the crowd, as the sick used to do in order to be
healed. I would fall down before Ilim, and lay hold of his
garment, or embrace his feet; and I would say, 'Lord Jesus
save me! I come not to be healed of blindness, or lameness,
or leprosy, but of sin. Aly heart is diseased with inic[uity. I
am in danger of God's wrath, and of eternal damnation.
Lord save me, I perish I' IJut, alas! Jesus is no longer
among us, and I cannot understand what is meant by coming
to Him."

Dear reader, do all this in your heart, and then you will
come to Jesus! a. m.

You know the story of the poor bricklayer, who fell
from a scaffold and was so much injured that they brought a
minister to him, who said, "My dear man, you have but a
short time to live. I entreat you to make your peace with
God."' The man made answer: "Make my peace with
God, sir? It was made for me nearly nineteen hundred
years ngo, upon the cross of Calvary, by Him that loved me
and gave himself for me." c, h. s.

Vet, when all is done in that direction that is possible,
it may bring the weary soul no nearer to the single and sim-
ple exercise of faith. "You tell me," he replies, "to believe.
Will you not teach me and guide me, so that I may believe?
I am still in darkness. What is the one thing I must do, on
the doing of which, as on a pivot, turns the momentous c}ues-
tion of my salvation? You still counsel me to believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ. But your answer leaves me just
where it finds me, in my blindness and bondage." To that

128

(J LEANINGS.

wc may reply, it is true that the answer l)riii<js no relit-f.
You must accept the answer, and act upon the counsel con-
tained in it. \'our personal faith must lay hold of Christ as
yo/fr Saviour. Then will your darkness l)e at once dispersed
and your bondage broken. "Why did you not tell me this
before?" exclaimed one recently brou<i^ht into the fold of
Christ. His pastor replied, " My dear friend, I have l)een
telling you that all alon<;, throuf^h the season of vour con-
viction. Xow that you have experienced it, it seems simi)le
enough to you.^' w. s. m'k.

Do not believe in cr/zy teachings which bids men sit
down and find peace in the idea that they need not strive to
enter in at the straight gate of truth. My brethern, if grace
has ever come to you, it will arouse vou from lethargy, and
lead you to go to Christ, and you will be most earnest, with
all the activity of your spirit, to search for Him as for hitl
treasure. * * Once get a mind on the wing with
a holy earnestness and solemn thoughlfulncss, and we do be-
lieve, with (jod's grace, that it will, ere long, be brought to
a saving faith in Christ. c . h. s.

m Si!

IV ■;:i

It is clear that all the readiness retjuired on man's part is
a ivillujgucss to come and receive the blessing which (jod
has provided. There is nothing' else necessarv; if men are
iviUing to come, they may ccnic, they it/// come. Where
the Lord has been pleased to Lo ich the will so that a man
has a desire towards Christ, - , h^re the heart really hungers
and thirsts after righteousness, that is all the readiness which
is wanted. Willingness to come is everything. A willing-
ness to cast the soul on him, a preparedness to accept him
just as he is, because you feel that he is just the Saviour that
you need — that is all. c. ir. s.

It is of the last importance, to be clear as to the fact,
that it is the work of Christ zvithont vou, and not the work
of the Spirit xvithin you, that must form the sole ground of

\ \

JESUS ONLY.

129

your (lelivcraiicc from i^uilt, iiiid of pence with Cod. ^'oll
must beware of reslinj^ your peace ou your feilinj^s, coiivie-
tions, tears prayers, or resolutious. ^'ou uuist iwi; if/ with
receiviii}^ Clirist; and !U)t make that the termination kA a
course of fancied preparation. Christ must he the Alpha and
Oiiiej^a. lie must he e\ervthin}j^ in oui" saKalioii, or He will
he notiiin<;. Ik-ware lest you fall into the common luistake
of supposinjjf, that yon will he moie welcome to aecej)! of
Christ, when yui are hrou<(ht thr()U<^h a teriihle process of
"law-work." \'ou areas welcome to Chiist now, as you
will ever he. Wait not for deeper convictions of sin, fur
why should you prefer conviction to Christ r w. u.

Now, is it iu)t a common question of the heart, "Will
God have compassion on wr.*"" Hisalmi«rhty power to sa^e
is not douhtcd. Hut, "Has He the love and compassion for
me which will induce Him to save mc y^''

Let me ask my reader, which is the jjreater offence, to
question a person's ability? or, to question his kindness?
vSupposin<ij one were to prefer a petition to a soverij^n, and
express on that petition this sentiment: "I do not douht vour
power to relieve me; hut I altojijether mistrust your pity antl
your kindness." With such a petition, would he he likely to
succeed with man?

The proof of His willingness is the fact of His havinj^
<2[iven His own Son to die. This is God's universal procla-
mation of His readiness to save. When you meditate on
Christ lifted up on the Cross, you arc contemplatinj^ the one
jjfreat evidence that God has wi\en of His wondrous love for
the ruined sinner. ii, w. s.

Christ asks no preparation of any kin.d whatsoever, lej^al
or evangelical, outward or inward, — in the coming sinner.
And he that will not come as he is shall never be received at
all. It is not "exercised souls," nor "penitent believers," nor
"well-humbled seekers," nor earnest "users of the means,"
nor any of the better class of Adam's sons and daughters:

130

GLEANINGS

but SINNERS, that Christ welcomes. "He came not to call
the righteous, but sinners to repentance." ir, b.

Salvation! let thi; echo fly

The spacious earth around,
While all the armies of the sky

Conspire to raise the sound.

Says one, "O that I could but embrace him! Oh that
he were mine! If I could but find rest in him, I would give
all that I have." Then be assured that Jesus is close to
you: your prayers are in his car; your tears fall upon his
heart; he knows all about your diflUculties, all about your
doubts and fears, and sympathies in the whole, and in due
time he will break your snares, and you shall yet with joy
drink water out of the wells of salvation. c. jr. s.

Have you, my reader, occupied yourself for even a few
minutes in meditating on this wondrous subject, — the Lord
ycsiis Christ?' You may have thought about your sins.
You may still be troubled about your past life. You may be
making resolutions as to the future. But have you given
deep anxious consideration to this great question, VVhose Son
is Christ ?

Many a soul is kept in doubt and anxiety, because it does
not ponder over and weigh the answer to this all-important
enquiry. Jesus is the Son of God — the Son of the living
God: and because He is, and ever was, the only-begotten of
the Father — equal with Him — the brightness of His glory,
and the express image of His person, — because Jesus is, and
ever was, the mighty God, the Creator of all things, the
Sustainer of all things, — therefore it is that His death upon
the cross is so efficacious, so complete and eternal an answer
for sin, — of such infinite value to God." ii. \v. s.

And even those sermons and publications which clearly
and forcibly enough set forth the gospel truths relating to

JESUS ONLY.

131

sin and salvation, and duly emphasize the ahility and willing^-
ness of Christ to save the lost, fail, nevertheless, at the cen-
tral and vital point in the scheme of divine wisdom and
wrace. They do not present and urge, with sufficient dis-
tinctness, the one paramount truth, on which, as on a pivot,
turns the salvation of the soul. Inquirers are, indeed, exhort-
ed to believe. On that word, and around it, preacher and
author linj^er, illustrating^ the significance, and urging the
necessity of believing. But so much of other counsel is
given, and withal made so prominent, that it often obscures,
if it does not contravene, the scope and sufficiency of simple
fait/i in Christ. w. s. m'k.

"The Son of man was so lifted up, that whosoever he-
lieveth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
It is your part simply to lay hold of the proffered boon.
You are invited to do so ; you arc intreated to do so ; nay,
what is more, you are commanded to do so. it is true you
are unworthy, and without holiness no man can see God ;
but be not afraid, only believe ! w. k.

Our matured conviction is that the great thing needed at
present is not so much revival sermons, or revival prayer-
meetings, as revival truths ; and as the very essence of that
truth is ''''the gospel of Hod eoneerning his '"^ou Resits
Christ our Lord.'''' He will prove the most effective preach-
er in bringing about a holy, deep, s])iritual revival, who
gives the greatest promini iice to these great facts: — "That
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and
that He was buried; and that He rose agaifi the third day
according to the Scriptures." \v. it.

i I

But in a few nights she came back wriifghv:^ lif-r hands
as before, and to my utter horror, in spite > i 11 that liad
been said about Christ's finished work came out v/ith : ^'''JVie
Lord will surely never put me among the profane .''" Shew-

fffl

132

GLEANINGS.

inj( that any miserable little peace she had, was derived from
the fact, that she was different from the profane.^ and not
from the fact, that Christ died for her sins^ and taken them
away for ever. j. (i.

I labor especially to convince them that all the difficulties
which oppose their sahation lie in their oxvu hearts- -that
Christ is ivilli)ig to save them — but they are unwilling to be
saved in his xvay^ and therefore are without excuse, e. p.

Sinner, remember this, none ever yet obtained an inter-
est in Christ hnt utnvorthy creatures. If you are ready to
be forgiven, lie is "ready to forgive." If you are ivilling
to be saved, lie is ivilling to sa^ e you. t. \\.

The Cross ! what an exhibition does it give of the value
of the soul ! The Cross ! what an admonition there of the
miseries of the damned ! Devouring flames, chains of dark-
ness, bowlings of despair, I need you not — the Cross where
Jesus bleeds to save us, gives me a more terrific idea of hell
than you can. The Cross ! what an awful lustre does it
pour upon the justice, the holiness, and the severity of God !
Above all, the love of God — how dazzlingly, with what
surpassing brightness, does not that shine there — sending a
heavenly effulgence all over this dark world, down even to
the gates of hell ! I ask again, can this Cross be viewed
with indifference ? Is it strange that the Cross has power to
rouse and stir the heart ? c. m.

There is no other name, no other nature, no other blood,
no other merits, no other person to be justified and saved by,
but Jesus Christ. All the tears in the world cannot wash out
one sin, nor can all the grace and holiness that is in angels
and men combined, purchase the pardon of the least tr^wi-

JESUS ONLY.

133

jjression. All remission is only by the blood of Christ.
There is no way under heaven to be interested in Christ, but
by believing. He that believeth shall be saved., let his sins
be ever so great, and he that believeth not shall be damned,
let his sins be ever so small. .Smooth Stonks.

^i i

.1%

;i;

Remember that heaven is before you, and Christ the
only door to it; hell beneath you, and Christ alone is able to
deliver you from it; ihe devil behind you, and Christ the
only refu<2^e from his wrath and accusations; the law aj^ainst
\ cHi, and Christ alone able to redeem vou. i, c. K.

You should be in ear/iest about seekinji^ (lod. Me was
in earliest when He gave His Son to die for sinners. Christ
was /;/ real earnest when He hung upon the cross and died
for you. o. i.. m.

The only thing is that we do hold on to Jesus Christ,
through thick and thi:., through foul and fair, up hill and
down d-ile, in the night and in the day, in life and in death,
in time and in eternity; that we do steadfastly believe that
Jesi;- of Nazareth, who died upon the cross, is the Messiah
of r'^od, ven the Son of God. c. h. s.

Let us get back to the simple gospel — Christ died for
our sins. VVe must know Christ at Calvary, as our substi-
tute, as our Redeemer and the moment we accept of Him as
our Saviour and our Redeemer, then it is that we become
pr>' "^akers of the gospel. The moment I believe on the Lord
J'-- .t5 Christ as my substitute, as ni}- saviour, that moment I
get ; ; bt and peace. I know some people say, "Oh, it is not
Ch/i Is death, it is Christ's life. Do not be preaching so
much about the death of Christ, preach about his life." Ah!
my friends, that »gver will save any one. Paul says, "I de-

TTT

134

GLEANINGS.

clare unto you the gospel. Christ died'^'' — not Christ Hved —
"Christ died for our sins; who his own self hore our sins in
his own hody, on the tree." Now, when I accept of Christ
as my Savior, as my suhstitute, then I am justified from all
things which 1 coukl not be by the law of Moses.

Words of Life.

Christ alone gives the invitation to " Comey Prophets,
apostles and minisiers di: ect men to go to the saviour; the
Father sj^eaking fr ^ '^"wen, and the spirit speaking in the
heart, concur in the .s:, nstruction. All who come to Him
are released from condc: lation. t. s.

How sweet the name of lesus sounds

In a believers car!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,

And drives away his fear.

It rn^ikes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;

'Tis manna to thr hungry-soul.
And to the weary rest.

So powerful was she moved that she exclaimed '■'- What,
Jesus, is that all ? Is that all? Simply to believe — to believe
and leave all to Thee ! Thy blood blots out all ! Oh, Lamb
of God ! Lamb of God !" She fell on her knees before
the Lord and wept. Jesus became the sole object of her
faith, her love and admiration. Christ became her Saviour,
her strength, her life and her all.

Memoir of Madam Feller.

Kep:lino.

While 1 was coniiii^i^ to Christ 1 did not know that 1
was coming ; and when I looked to Chiist, I scarcely knew
whether it was the right sort of a look or no, but then I felt
at last that Jesus had healed me, then 1 kuczv what I had
done. c. ii. s.

You see the cross as bringing salvation very near ; but
not so absolutely close as to be in actual contact with you as
you are ; not so entirely close but that there is a little space,
just a handbreadth or a hairbreadth, to be made up by your
own prayers, or efforts, or feelings r "Everything," you
say, "is complete ; but, then, that want of feeling in myself!""
Ah, there it is ! There is t/ic httlc m/fif/is/icd bit of Christ's
work which you are trying to linish, or to persuade him by
your pra}ers, to finish for you ! That want of feeling is.
the little inch of distance which you have to get removed
before the completeness of Christ's work is available for
you !

The consciousness of insensibility, like the sense of guilt,
ought to be one of your reasons for trusting him the more,
whereas you make it a reason for not trusting him at all.
Would a child treat a father or a mother thus ? Would it
make its bodily weakness a reason for distrusting parental

lov{

H. n.

It is not he that feels and believes, but he that helieveth
on the Son of God hath everlasting life. Act on the pre-
sumptjpn that C^Jirist's words are true. d. l. m.

136

GLEANINGS.

Shall T tell you what I frequently meet with ? I have
talked with a person, and said, "Can you trust in your
works ?" He answers, "Oh, no, sir, 1 can never do that."
"Well," I ask, "Can you come to Christ, and take the right-
eousness of God ?" "Well, sir, no ; I do not feel enough mv
own emptiness." Look ! This man is going to bring his own
emptiness to help him. He actually thinks that, if he has
not any riir/itconsncss^ his own ei)iptiness is good for some-
thing ; and, if he can get to feel that, he will come and
bring his feelings of emptiness to commend him to Christ.

c. H. s.

"No," says one. "I am not prepared." Prepared I Sir r
Then you do not understand me. There is no preparation
needed ; it is, jt t u.syoii are. "Oh, I do not feci my need
enough." I know you do not. But what has that to do
with it ? You are commended to cast yoursjelf on Christ.
Be you never so black, or never so bad, trust to Ilim. He
that believeth in Christ shall be saved, be his sins never so
many ; he that believeth not shall be damned, be his sins
never so few. c. h. s.

I !

Putting the cart before the horse, is a very absurd thing,
but many do it. Hear how people will say: "If I could feel
joy in the Lord I would believe." Yes, that is the cart before
the horse, for joy is the result of faith, not the reason for it.
" But I want to feel a great change of heart, and then I will
believe." Just so; you wish to make th^frzu't the roof. "Be-
lieve in the Lord Jesus Christ," that is the root of the matter;
chang eof life and joy in the Lord, will spring up as a gracious
fruit of faith, and not otherwise. When will you discrimi-
nate ? c. H. s.

(jod is waiting to give it to you all for )iothiiig^ without
a feeling in payment, without a prayer as the condition of it,
just as the widow's friend dealt with her debt. That it
might be of grace, it was made to be hy faith., not by attaln-
tneut either in intellect or feeling. This is the impression

FEELING.

13-

ii;

I have
in your
lo that."
he right-
ough my
r his own
E he has
"or some-
ome and
Christ,
c. H. s.

red ! Sir r
reparation
/ my need
hat to do
on Christ.
Ilim. He
never so
'f- his sins

C. H. S.

urd thing,
could feci
art before
ison for it.
len I will
'oof. "Bc-
le matter;

\ gracious
discrimi-

c. H. s.

that has been sometimes left upon my mind, after having
heard the gospel stated — that faith is the condition which
God has demanded from the sinner, in order that he may be
saved — that the great Physician will heal the most wretched,
sin-burdened soul, but he must receive faith as his J'cc. Now
this, as you have no doubt found, would be the most difficult
of all fees to procure. Feeling is hard to get up, but faith is
harder. Paith is the mere apprehension of grace — than/c-
ftilly accepting ivhat God has already frec/y given. Faith
puts God in the chief room as the giver, it being more bless-
ed to give than to receive, and lets Him do everything, man
being the silent and passive receiver of blessing. Faith has
to do, not with what I feel toward God, but what God feels
toward me, what He has done for me, and what He has told
me. w. p M.

Martin Luther, in one of his conHicts with the devil,
was asked by the arch-enemy if he felt his sins forgiven.
•'No," said the great reformer, "/ do lit fee/ that they are
forgiven^ but I know they are, because God says so in His
Word." Paul did not sav, "Believe on the Lord Tesus
Christ, and thou shalty<?c7 saved ;" but, "Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou sha/t be saved." No one can feel
that his sins are forgiven. a. m.

It is more easy to see that you are lost., than to see that
you are saved. You have the help of conscience to believe
that you are lost, whereas you must believe first the bare
statement of the VV^ord of God that Christ has done all to save
you, before a consciousness of safety comes in to corroberatc
it. In the former case the I5ible corroberates conscience, in
the latter case, conscience corroberates the Bible. Hence,
anxious people often say, though absurdly, "If I could feel
that I was saved, I would believe." We do not speak in this
way with regard to worldly matters. We believe good
news before v/cfeel happy. j. g.

]-'^- ^-r

138

GLEANINGS.

11 i.

Some of tlic best of Christians do not know the exact
point at which they were converted; it was a j^radual process,
from the jj^reen blade to the ripe ear, and they cannot tell
ex ictly when the actual fruit of faith was formed in them.
Some of the most thouji^htful minds are not jerked on a sud-
den into relijj^ion, but are l)rou,<i[ht s^radually into li<?ht, even
as the noon of day draweth on by decrees. VV^ith many
there was at first nothinf^ but a little Ijlade, you cannot tell
whether it is not grass and grass only ; then feelings look
like a natural emotion causecl by the fear of hell, and this
might lead to nothing effectual. Then follows a little belief,
so formed as to be like the wheat-ear of faith, it takes time
for some persons before they shew the full corn of assured
faith in Jesus. * * For my part, I am glad even to per-
ceive a faint desire, a feeble longing after mcrc}-. c. ii. s.

I! I

We are accustomed to suppose that God's feelings
towards us vary according to our ow^n; that when we are in
a lively spiritual frame of mind he regards us with more com-
placency than at other times. This is not the case. The
feelings with which God regard us do not fluctuate like ours.

E. p.

I have seen a convicted sinner trembling like an aspen
leaf from head to foot, in view of his condition, and yet his
intolerable sorrow was that he could not feel at all. t.w.t.

The work on the cross has made peace with God, and
made it for j'of/. It is done, and done for voie. You may
not have the jTcc/tno- of it — you may not enjoy (because, in
truth, you ilo not fully believe) what Christ has done for you;
but the enjoyment of salvation is one thing, and salvation it-
self quite another. The latter you have; the former you
have not. Christ's wo7-k has done the one, youvyait/i in that
work has not yet done the other. Christ's work gives you
peace with God; your belief in that work gives you the
enjoyment of that peace. Remember this distinction, and
never confound the two things. f. w.

FEELING.

1,^9

le exact
process,
nnot tell
in them.
■)n a sud-
;ht, even
th many
nnot tell
nirs look
, and this
tie belief,
ikes time
if assured
:n to per-
c. H. s.

feelings

we are in

lore com-

Lise. The

like ours.

E. P.

an aspen
id yet his

T.W.T.

Suppose a very poor man had a mortgage on his house
for $i,ooo, on which he found it impossible to pay one dol-
lar. He has a wealthy uncle to whom he frankly states his
case, and pleads for aid. The uncle, in whom he has confi-
dence, promises to pay the mortgage the day it becomes due.
This nezvs fills him with a joy that was not there the
moment before. The ?ie-u'S was the cause of the joy. Why,
I would ask, should the uncoin erted look within for joyful
feelings before they accept ''the gift of God, which is eternal
life, through Jesus Christ our Lord?"

T. s. s.

I know how I ought to feel, and I know how wrong it
is to feel as I do; but that does not help me to feel otherwise
* * I know too that all this is necessary for my good.

I know Christ is near me, though I cannot perceive him, and
that, in his own time, which will be the best time, he will
set mv feet on a rock. K. P. ijiary.

You never have any sense of your need of Christ unless
he gives you that sense of need. That is as much his work
as full assurance is. The first breath, the first pang that in-
dicates life, is as much the divine work as the songs of angels
or perfect saints before the throne. c. ii. s.

God, and
You may
ecause, in
e for you ;
vation it-
rmer you
th in that
ives you
you the
tion, and
F. w.

What a hopeful state of heart is yours, my dear reader,
if you are now honestly desirous to know the truth, and
intensly anxious to be saved by it ! It is well indeed for
you if your soul is ready, like the photographer's sensitive
plate, to receive the impression of the divine light,
if you are anxiously desiring to be informed if there be in-
deed a Saviour, if there be a gospel, if there be hope for you,
if there be such a thing as purity and a way to reach it ; it is
well, I say, if you are anxiously, earnestly desiring to know
* * seeking to find Chr'st. c. h. s.

f'p

140

GLEANINGS,

\' !

After havin«^ heard a preacher of the fjospel describinjj
the awful state of unsaved people, and giving a solemn ex-
hortation to be saved immediatelv, said, with jifreat surprise,
''''But ichaf is it ail about ^ t foci as happy as a bird^
She really could not understand that anything the man had
been saying had any reference to her. w. i*. m.

Wc Ao not fee! our sins are gone,
But kiinvj it from Thy word alone ;
Wc Know that Thou our sins didst lay
On Him wlio lias put sins away.

Stop trying. The more you try the more you want.
Feeling does not come by trying ; it come always luisought
* * God calls you to two things, (i) Trust in Ilim, (2)
Consecration to llim. Give yourself to Him leaving Him
to bring you the fruits of joy peace and hope.

Christian Wkeklv.

Very frequently God teaches this to the minister, by
leading him to see his own sinful nature. He will have
such an insight into his own wicked and abominable heart,
that he will feel as he comes up the pulpit stairs that he is
not fit to sit in the pew. c. h. s.

"I want to feel this," says one. Are thy feeling better
than God's witness ? * * I have no evidence this day
that I dare trust in concerning ni}' salvation but this, that I
rest on Christ alone with all my heart, soul and strength. "I
have asked for faith," says one, well what dost thou mean by
that ? To believe in Jesus Christ is the gift of God, but it
must be thine own act as well. Dost thou think God will
believe for thee, or that the Holy Ghost believes instead of
us? What has the Holy Spirit to believe? Thou must
believe for thyself, or be lost. c. h. s.

FEELING

141

Mr. Moody gave an address on the subject of "Feeling
versus Faith," called out bv a note from a lady who had
come many miles to attend the meetings with the hope of
finding Christ, but who found herself without any sense of
conviction of sin. "It is not he that feels and believes, but
he that believeth in the Son of God hath everlasting life.''
Act on the presumption that Christ's words are true.

Do you know how I can feel more anxiety for the souls
of others, and how I can feel more deeply on the subject mv-
self ?

Stop trying. The more you try to feel the more you
want. Feeling does not come by trying; it comes unsought.
You want to be struck down like Saul of 'i'arsus, and see a
bright light, and hear a voice, and be appalled and blinded,
and come again into the light. God only converted one out
of many by any such process. God calls you to two things :
(i) Trust in him ; (2) Consecration to him. Give yourself
to him ; accept his gift of himself to you ; and then go
about vour daily duties as he opens them to vou, doing them
because he calls you to them, and leaving him to bring you
the fruits of joy, peace, hope, etc., in his own good time and
way. Feeling of the buds never made the fruit grow ; go
to work at the roots and the fruit will come of itself.

Chkistian W'eeklv.-

"I CANNOT FEEL I am savcd."

Neither do I: but, thank God, I know it, sim,>i> be-
cause He savs so in His Word, and I am confideni 'le al-
ways speaks the truth. Salvation is not through our feelings,
but through faith in what Jesus did for us (Rom. i. 16).
Jesus felt the weight of sin when He exclaimed, " My God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken Me?" (Matt, xxvii. 46).
Now, as you read these lines, believe on Him who bore sin's
penalty, and with the young man you will be able to say,
"God says I am saved, and it must be Tkue."

A. M.

'■

142

(} LEANINGS.

Truly blessed is the station,

Low lieforc Ills Cross to rrsl;

And to know, in (iod's salvation,
How my soul is fully hlcs-cd.

We do net fi'f/ our sins iiru k<""-'i

But knoT.' it from Thy word iilone:

We know that Thou our sins didst lay
On Iliui who has put sin away.

''But it is one thing to say that true faith in Jesus exists
in the heart, and another thin^^ to say that God must not he
heUeved until after a person shall have felt the effect of
what he affirms. God must he helieved at once, and upon
His word. The feelin<( of what lie declares must therefore
follo-w and not precede belief in His word. The believer
will then say, I feel because f have believed ; and not '•I be-
lieve because I have felt. c.

mki t

?* I

Most anxious inquirers seem to think that we have to
fight against ourselves in order to be saved, whereas we
fight against ourselves because we are saved. We have a
race to run, but \^ is not to the cross, it is from the cross.
Man's way is to believe because we feel : God's way is to
feel because tve believe^ and believe because God has said it.
Dr. Chalmers says, "Yet come the enlargement when it will,
it must, I admit, come after all through the channel of a
simple credence giving to the sayiftg's of God., accounted
true and faithful sayings. And never does light and peace
so fill my heart as when like a little child, I take up the
lesson, that God hath laid on His own Son the iniquities of

us all.

w. P. M.

We do not feel our sins are gone,
But know it from Thy word alone ;
We know that Thou our sins didst lay
On hini who has put sin away :
We take the guilty sinner\s name.
The guilty sinner's Saviour claim.

FEELING.

143

I remember visititi}^ a woman; years a'jjo, whom T never
could comfort till she came to die, aiul then she di- cl triumph-
antlv. I said to her, "What do you come to the chapel for ?
What is the <jof)d of it if there is iiothin*^ there for you ?"
"No," she said, "still I like to he there. If I perish, 'l will
perish listeuiiiji^ to the precious woid," "Well, hut why is it
you remain a member of the church, as you say you are not
a saved soul ?" "Well," she said, I know I am not worthy
but unless you turn me out I will never jjfo out, for I like to
be with God's people." I asked her to sij:jn a paper stating
that she did not love Christ. She looked horrified aiul
said that she would not sign such a paper for live thousand
worlds. c. H. s.

I']

If you cannot go to Christ on J'ccliug'^ go to Christ on
principle^ that is to say, "I do feci my need of Him, I do
not feci my wants as I know 1 ought ; but I am fully sat-
isfied He is the only Saviour for sinners." Howels.

Well, if the Lord has made you long after holiness,
there is in your heart already the embryo of grace, the seed
of everlasting life. Ere long you shall rejoice that vou are
born again, and have passed from death into life. "Oh," say
you, "I wish I could sec that, I wish 1 couXd feel ilV I do
not believe that any utterly graceless person ever could have
hearty, earnest, intense longings after holiness, for its own
sake. Man, if thou wouldst get the joy and peace, that is to
come out of thiS fact, I have to say to thee very much
what Jesus said to the poor man at Bethestia, he said: "Take
up thy bed and walk." c. ii. s.

Again and again we hear the remark, "I don't feel anx-
ious enough," or "I don't feel sorry enough." Such have
read or heard of some who were in great darkness of soul
and they imagine that they must go through a similar ex-

iS'

144

GLEANINGS.

perience. They are very unlike the woman who, when asked
how she <i;ot throuj^h the "slough of (K spond" (mentioned in
Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress), replied, "I did not go that
road at all; I went straight to the Cross."

Don't think of your anxiety, or want of anxiety, but ask
yourself — "Is God willing to save me now ?" Again and
again in His Word He declares that His desire is that you
should not perish, but be eternally saved. Cease occupying
your mind with your feelings, "Relieve on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved." a. .\f.

And when the young lady asked me, if it was not
necessary that she should see in herself the proofs of true
faith, in order to be sure that she believed in Jesus, I observ-
ed, that though these proofs were indispcnsihle as evidence
and sensible demonsiration of faith, they could never appear
till after the existence of divine faith in the soul, and then
only as consequences of that true faith. c. m.

A dear old Christian, on hearing persons speaking of
their feelings, used to say, — "Feelings ! Feelings I Don't
bother yourself about your feelings. 1 just stick to the old
truth that ('hr/st i/iiu/ J'or i)u\ and He is my surety right
on to etervii\\ and PlI stick to that like a limpet to the rock."""

1 long waited for such a sense of sin as would make me
a worthy object of God's mercy; but I waited in vain. I at
last felt that it was my duty to believe. I cast myself on the
compassion of the Saviour as a poor ^ blind., hardened^ help-
less wretch; and that moment found joy and peace in belie\ -
ing. Mhs. Sauah L. ►Smith, (Missionary).

My father was a good man as was in all the parish, but
he could not say he was saved ; no, not even when dying.
At that solemn moment he was very anxious for some

FEELING

145

token — ." "Token ! what do you mean, pray r" "Mean !
Why I mean he expected and wished to see, or hear, or feel
something., to assure him that he was goinor to heaven, but
he got nothing — no token.'" .1. o.

Luther writes, that the devil said to him on one occasion
"Martin, do you feel that you are saved ?" And Luther re-
plied, "No, I do not, but I am quite as sure of it as if I did.
Get thee behind me, Satan." His assurance sprung from his
faith, and not from his feelings. We are not commanded to
feel, or to believe, that we are saved ; or, that we have been
born again ; or, that we arc included in the soverign and
electing purpose of God, but to believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ. In doing this, we confide to him our souls, and trust
him to do for us tiiat which he is lioth able and vvillinjjf to
perform. w. s. m'k.

) 1

But you say, 'I .io believe, yet I cannotyir/ that my sins
are forgiven, and that I have eternal life.' Now you are
making a Saviour of your feelings. Vou would believe
what God says if you could only /Wv'. Does not this show
that you do )iot belie\ e r The Lord Jesus does not sav, if
you /('('/ it vou have everlasting life, but if you believe it.
Here is your stumbling-block; you do not believe ilim. if
you would only believe first, you W()uldy<'<7 afterwards: this
is Go(Vs way. Ton want \o feel first., then you will believe.
this is your own way. Ton will never ha\ e peace till you
reverse the order. 'Onlv believe.' i\ w.

People often say, though \ ery absindly, "if I co\\\i\ feel
that I was saved, I would believe." We do not speak in this
way with regard to worldly matters. W^e believe good news
before we /«?r/ happy. You hear a law suit has been decided
in your favor, and you rejoice in consequence. You have
heard on the authority of God's own word that Christ died
for sinner. You are a sinner and why do you not rejoice at
the "good news r" j. g.

ill

GLEANINGS

Now, God says that He so loved us that He gave us
Jesus, and all that we have to do is to believe in Him. Of
course you believe that He came and died ; but did you ever be-
lieve that God gave Him to^oziP "Ah !" you say, "1 wish I
could yt'c/ that." But God does not ask you to feel it. He
states what He has given to you, and asks you to believe
Him. "God so loved the world that He gave His only be-
gotten Son," whether you believe it or not. w ^. m.

There seem to be many, in our day, who are seeking
God. Yet they appear to be but "feeling after him, in
order to find him," as if he were either a distant or an "un-
known" God, They forget that "he is not far from every
one of us ;" for "in him we live, and move, and have our
being." c. h. s.

Peace with God is ours by our simple acceptance of it
through faith. Christ Jesus "having made peace through
the blood of the cross," our reconciliation with the Father is
already accomplished. Faiih has only to accept it and rest
in it as a part of the Redeemer's finished work. Here is a
matter of fact^ not a matter of feeling. Faith does not
create anything, or change anything; it simply apj.rehends
what is and counts it true.

"The lijfhtninjj-'s flash did not create
'rhe lovely prospect it revealed ;
It only showed the real state
Of what darkness had concealed."

"O Lord, open then mine eyes, that I may behold
wonderous things out of thy law." The wonderous things are
those already — atonement, redemption, peace, — all these are
accomplished realities, standing for their support alone on
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. We only need sight to
behold them, and a believing trust to rest in them.

A. ). G.

FEELING

147

During some special mcetinf^ beinp^ held in the church,
of which the writer is a member, the pastor, apparently
somewhat ciiscouraj^ecl at the frequency with which he met
the complaint of lack oi J~ec////^^, giwe nn address on "////.v
feeling^'' as he somewhat ancjerly called it, statin*:^ amonjr
other thinji^s, that tlie word "/(v7///4>'"occured only twice in the
New Testament, &c. Immediately on finishino- his addres she
stepped off the platform and asked an inquirer, sittings on the
front seat: — "How do yow feci ?" "I hope you feci better."

Did not the Israelites yijr'/ themselves cured the moment
they looked at the serpent of brass ? Some however of the
most spiritual minded Christians, cannot name even the year,
in which thev crossed that mysterious line "out of darkness
into his marvellous light." Truly : —

'(if)d moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform."

T. S. S.

" If I could only feel it," as a young officer said to me,
when I pressed on him that enough had been done on the
cross to save his soul.

" But," I said, " you have not got \o feci it, but believe
it. You may be saved without feeling. I believed in Christ
for about a fortnight before I knew that I was saved. I
might have known it at r^;/ft?, onlv I was wailing Vofecl saved.
At last I said, 'Well, if I don't /Iy'/ saved until I find myself
in heaven, still I'll rest solely on the zcord of God. God
hath said in that Word, He that believeth on the Son haih
everlasting life. I know that now I do believe in Christ; I
used to trust in my prayers^ or sometJiing that I could do
myself; but I don't tiust in anyt/iiiig iio~v except Christ, and
His work on the cross, for my salvation; t/icrcfore I have
everlasting life. Gixl says I have.' Then vSatan whispered
*Do you feci you have everlasting life?' I could not say I
felt it. ' Then you cannot have it^ whispered that arch-liar! I
remembered, it is whittpin, 'He that believeth on the Son
MATH everlasting life.' I kncvc that I really believed in
Christ; therefoke I had everlasting life, whether \ felt it
or not. God said I had, and I surely must be right in be-
lieving Him, despite every feeling. t. w. t.

lir^

I ^

1 ■

Experiences.

She assured me she was not afraid to die — it was a debt
we all must pay — she had lived long enough in the world and
was not unwilling to leave it. * * But after some
hesitation she proceeded to tell me what she seemed to think
I ought to have known before, that she was a member of the
church, had been baptised and confirmed and attended the
sacraments, etc., etc. * * She told me that when
she sent for me the day before she had not the least doubt
but what she was a good Christian and she had never in her
life felt any misgiving 07i tiiat point. * * I en-
deavored to shew her the perfect nature of Christ's finished
work as a foundation for her hope; and, as a consequence of
it, the freeness with which the Father receives and justifies
the believer. She appeared for a while to be mentally strug-
gling to comprehend the new, the great idea, and then she
said, '"'• Do yon mean^ sir^ that I may believe in Christ atid
be saved P That I, sinful and guilty as I am, would be freely
accepted of Him ? And this is all that is necessary after a
long life of sin?" * * She was filled with wonder
and amazement. * * j saw her again the next

evening, and discovered at once that, being justified by faith,
she had peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

w. H. L.

I feel that my race is nearly run. I have, indeed, tried
to do my duty. Yet all this avails nothing. I place no de-
pendence on anything but the righteousness and death of
Jesus Christ. I have never enjoyed the raptures of faith
vouchsafed to many Christians. I do not undervalue these

EXPERIENCES.

149

feelings, but it has not pleased God to bestow them upon me.
I have, however, a confident hope that I am accepted in the
Beloved. i-. w.

as a debt
Olid and
ter some
to think
er of the
ided the
lat when
ist doubt
^r in her
I en-
finished
uence of
ustifies
y Strug-
then she
rist and
oe freely
after a
wonder
le next
)y faith,
irist.

H. L.

ed, tried
e no de-
death of
of faith
Lie these

I could not find out xvhat faith was; or ivhat it was to
believe and come to Christ. I read the calls of Christ to the
'iveary and heavy laden\ but could find no way in which He
directed them to come. I thought 1 woidd gladly come if I
only knew how; though the path of duty were never so
difficult. I read Stoddard's Guide to Christ, and my heart
rose against the author, for though he told me my very heart
all along under convictions, and seemed to be very beneficial to
mein hisdirections; yet here he seemed tome tofail — hedidwo/
tell me anything I could do that would bring me to Christ,
but left me as it were with a great gulf between me and
Christ, without any directions to get through. For I was
not yet experimentally and effectually taught that there could
be no way prescribed whereby a natural man could, of his
own strength, obtain that which is supernatural, and which
the highest angel cannot bestow. d. b.

I wanted, forsooth, to be encouraged to hope for an an-
swer of peace by some merit of my own, and so felt unwil-
ling to approach the throne of grace when I had been guilty
of anything which lessened my stock of goodness. * *
If I attempt to perform any duty, I am afraid it is only an
attempt to build up a fabric of my own; and if I neglect it
the case is still worse. e. p.

Save me O God! for the waters are come into m}- soul.
I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing. * * I am
weary with my groanings. All the night make I my bed to
swim. I water my couch with my tears. My tears have
been my meat day and nigh, while they continually say unto
me: Where is thy God? * * Will the Lord cast me off
for ever ? and will he be favorable no more? Is his mercy

itmmm

I,'!:
I !■!"

I'll'
V '

■if

•ft

ill

fipi

(-■
t ■

150

GLEANINGS

clean j^^one for ever? Doth his promise fail for evermore?
Hath God forjj^otten to l)c jj^racious? lias he shut up his
tender mercies? * * I had fainted, unless I had helieved
to see the j^oodness of the Lord in the land of the livinj?. *
Wait on the Lord: be of jj^ood couraj^e and he shall strenj^then
thine heart: wait I say on the Lord. * * The Lord
taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in
his mercy. * * The Lord is niii^h unto all them that call
upon him, to all that call on him in truth. He will fulfil the
desire of them that fear him: he will also hear their cry and
will save them. iJear me speedih', () Lord ! my spirit
faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto
them that <i^o down into the pit. Take not thy Holy Spirit
from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. Why
art thou cast down, O my soul! and why are thou disquieted
in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him.
Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what
he has done for my soul. The Lord is my shepherd I shall
not want. Yea, thou^rh I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Bless the Lord, O
my soul; and all thj't i^ within me, bless his holy name.

David.

'Tis a point I long to know —

Oft it causes anxious thought-
Do I love the Lord, or no ?
Am I His, or am I not ?

Let me love Thee more and more,

If I love at all, I pray;
If I have not loved before.

Help me to begin to-day.

Rev. John Newton.

I have heard a great deal said against that hymn. But
I have had occasion to sing it myself sometimes, so I cannot
find much fault with it. c. h. s.

ermore?
t up his
believed
viiif^. *
eii^then
:ie Lord
hope in
that call
fulfil the
cry and
ny spirit
ike unto
ilv Spirit
1.' Why
isquieted
lise him.
are what
•d I shall
y of the
vith me;
Lord, O
ne.

AVID.

EXPERIENCES.

151

I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand
at the latter day upon the earth. * * Oh that I knew
where I mij^ht find him! that I mi^ht come even to iiis seat!
I would order my course before him, and fill my mouth with
arguments. * * Behold, 1 go forward, but he is not
there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: on the left
hand, but 1 cannot behold him: he hideth liimself on the
right hand, that I cannot sec him. * * Wherefore I abhor
myself, and repent in dust and ashes. " Jon.

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;

Might more of Ilis salvation know,
And seek more earnestly^His face.

I hoped that in some favored|hour,
At once He'd answer my request;

And, by His love's constraining power,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

"Lord, why is this?" I trembling cried —
"Wilt Thou^'pursue Thy worm to death ?"

"'Tis in this way," the Lord replied,
"I answer prayer for grace and faith."

"These inward trials I employ.

From self and pride to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthlv joy.
That thou may'st seek thy all in me."

Rev. John Newton.

VTON.

n. But
I cannot

• ri. S.

But I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do
T allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate,
that I cjp^ If then I do that which I would not, I consent

152

GLEANINGS,

unto the law that it is <><j()(l. Now then it is no inore I that
(kO it, but sin that dwelleth in mc. For the good that I would
I do not: but the evil that I would not, that I do. Now if 1
do that T would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that

I we

lleth

ni ine.

I am now ready to be offered up, and the time of m\
departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight. I have
finished my course. 1 have kept the faith, henceforth there
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the righteous judge shall give me at that day. Paul.

Not a care is hovering o'er me.

Not a shade is on my brow,
For my soul is stayed on Jesus,

And my trust is in Him now.

Yes, sweet Saviour, thou art with me.

And I revel in thy love,
For I know, complete i^i Thec^ Lord,

T shall dwell ivith Thee above.

Mrs. Denning.

We are inclined to believe that this enduement of the
Spirit has often been confounded with conversion, in the
experience of good men. When we hear of Dr. Chalmers,
Leigh Richmond, or William Haslam preached the gospel
several years before they were really converted, we seriously
question the statement, even though these men may have
expressed such an opinion themselves. They had during
these years honestly believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and
"confessed him with the mouth," and therefore we must think
that had they been called out of the world they would have
been saved. But all this time they may have lacked the
witness and power of the Spirit, aud therefore exercised a
comparatively barren ministr\-. a. j. g.

■e I that
I would
low if I
sin that

EXPERfENCES.

153

2 of my

I have

th there

le Lord,

l*AUI..

NING.

It of the
in the

lalmers,
ospel

.eriouslv

ay have
during

irist and
ist think
Id have
ked the
:icised a
. J. G.

Diary — May lo, 1739. Was exceedingly melancholy.

May II — Felt still more miserable.

May 12 — Was, if possible, still more gloomy and de-
pressed than yesterday. Could only wander about from
place to place, seeking rest, and finding none. e. pay son.

A friend with whom he had been conversing on his ex-
treme bodily sufferings and his high spiritual joys, remarked
— "I presume it is no longer incredible to you, if ever it was,
that martyrs should rejoice and praise God in the flames and
on the rack?" "No," said he, "lean easily believe it. I
have suffered twenty times — yes, to speak within bounds —
twenty times as much as I could in being burnt at the stake,
while my joy in God so abounded as to render my sufferings
not only tolerable but ivc Iconic.'''' * * W'ere tlie

whole world at my feet trying to minister to my comfort,
they could not add one drop to my cup!''' e. payson

Hear me, O Lord, hear me that this people may know
that thou art the Lord God. * * Then the fire of the Lord
fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the
stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in. the
trench. * * Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah
saying &c. * * Then he arose and went for his life. *
* A day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat
down under a juniper tree and he requested for himself that
he might die. * * O Lord take away me life. * *
And it came to pass. * * There appeared a chariot of
fire, and horses of fire, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind
into heaven.

I still live, and am in as good health as perhaps I ever
was; well would it be if my soul were in as good state as
my body. I think I trust in the Lord Jesus, and I cannot
say that I ever get further than to cast my perishing soul

'm-

[Hi

Jl -.1
It : I!

154

GLEANINGS.

from (lay to day on the Savior of sinners. What I have al-
ways lamented, as the great crime of which I am constantly
<^uilty, is want of lo\e to Christ. That fervency of spirit
which manv enjoy, that constant activity in the ways of God,
and that hnn^er and thirst after righteousness which consti-
tutes the life and soul of religion, I scarcely feel at all; or if
I df) perceive a small degree of it, its continuance is so short,
and its operati(Mis so feehle, that I can scarcely consider it as
forming a part of my character. 1 live a kind of mechanical
life, going through the lahors of each day as I should go
through any other work, hut in a great measiux' destitute of
that energy which makes every duty a pleasure. w.c.

I cannot accuse myself of indulging in any known sin'
or neglecting any known duty; hut I am so lifeless, so little
engaged in religious things, that I seem to helieve as though
1 believed not. K. p. (diaky.)

An extract from a private letter to the author : — The
Lord in mercy had called me, and revealed his precious sal-
vation to my soul, at the end of my fifteenth year, in the
very midst of that heathen darkness which hovers over the
Lutheran Church in Germany. I had no teacher but the
spirit and God's W^ord ; the struggles were long and fear-
fully hot, but at the end of six months I found that precious
peace which passeth all understanding. I talked to everv
one about Jesus Christ — to my father, mother, brothers, r>isters,
school-mates, and neighbors. * * The\- all laughed at me,
called me mad, and scorned me. But oh, I was so happv ;
and the wilder the storm around me raged, the deeper and
deeper was my happiness within. * * My father was an
infidel, when he knew death was approaching I would in
keen anguish of heart throw myself at his feet embrace his
knees, and plead with him that he would have mercy on his
own soul and accept Jesus as his Saviour. He would push
me away and sneer at me. His awful death was a fearful
proof that the blood of Christ did not avail for him, for his

I have al-
constantly
^- of spirit
/s of God,
ch consti-
t all; or if
IS so short,
isider it as
ncchanical
should go
Icstitute of
w.c.

known sin'
?ss, so little
,' as though

DIAKY.)

lor : — The
•ecious sal-
:ar, in the
over the
or but the
and fear-
\t precious
to every
lers, sisters,
led at me,
o happy ;
eeper and
er was an
would in
ibracc his
cy on his
ould push
a fearful
m, for his

EXPERIENCES.

l^'i

agonies were truly horrid to witness, the worm that never
dies appears to have taken possession of his soul even before
it had left its earthly tabernacle. He scorned the Saviour.

The very absence of doubt has caused me to doubt ; for
if I am really a child of God, how should I be free from
those doubts which trouble His true children ? * * If
God by His Spirit did not prevent me, and still in a manner
force me to keep striving against my will, I should give up
indespair. * * I know how I oii^lit to feel, and I know
how wrong it is to feel as I do ; but that does not help me
to feel otherwise. E. p. (diary.)

"I cannot say I have any very rapturous feeling ; but I
am confident in the promises of the Lord. I wish to leave
my eternal interests in His hands! — to place my hands in His
as a child would his father's, to be led how and where He
pleases." w. c.

* * Let none of my readers imagine that the process
of con\ersion here described is designed as a standard for
their experience, or that I limit the Holy One of Israel. *
Some He enlightens in a more gradual way, and draws them
to Christ by gentler means, as it were with the cords of love.
Nor have we any^ business to enquire into the reasons of this
difference. a. n.

(Jod moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in tlie sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan His work in vain;

Ciod IS His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

J-<--.

1^6

GLEANINGS.

I was aina/cd that I had not (hopjjcd my own coiitriv
allocs, and coinpHcd with this loNcly, hlcsscd and excellent
way before. If I could ha\ e been saved bv my own duties,
or any other way that I formerly contrived ; my whole soul
would now have refused. I woiulered all the world did not
see and at once comi)lv with this wav of Salvation — entirelv
by the n'o/tico/tsi/css of (^hrist. i». it.

A ImiK^ time I wiiiuli'icil in (larkncss and sin.

Ami wondurcd if ever tlie li;^ht would sliine in;

I luard Cliristiun friends speak in raptures divine,

And 1 wished— liinv I wislieil that tliL'ir Saviour was mine.

Oil, mercy surprisin;^! He saves even me !
■'Thy portion for ever," He says, "will I he,"
On His word I am rcstin;jf — assurance divine -
I'm //('////;'■ no Ioniser I kiiovj he is mine.

[fit' i

IS'

li:

If at any time, I am favored with clearer discoveries of
my natural and actjuired dclM'avity and hatefulness in the
sij^ht of (jod, and am enabled to mourn over it, in comes
spiritual pride, with — "Ah, this is somcthinu^ like ! this is
holy mourninti; for sin ; this is true humility." If I happen
to detect and spurn at these thouj^jhts, imuiediately he char»rcs
his battery, and be_Ljins — "Another person would have in-
dulged those feelings and imagined he was really humble, but
vou know better ; you can detect and banish pride at once
as you ought to do." K. i*. (diauy.)

I had marked out for myself a plan of oo- ersion m
accordance with the prevailing theologica .i>. First 1

must have agoni/ing convictions ; then a di >\erwhelmi
repentance ; then a view of Christ iny iviou whicii
should fill me with trans[^ort ; and from all thii n\ add pro-
ceed a new and holy life. Until this was done, T could per-
form no work pleasing to God, and all that I could do was
abomination in His sight. For these emotions, therefore, I
prayed, but received nothing in answer which corresponded
to my theory of conversion. f. w.

r.H'

EXPFF?IFNCES

l=i7

That deep distress, arisiiijr from the fear of hell, is not
iec(iiiie(l of any, in order to have peace with (iod ; for such
distress does not hclonj^ to the precepts of the law, hut to its
curse. TerrlfyiujJ^ apprehensions of eternal punishment are
no part of that which is required of sinners, htit is what is
indicted on themselves. * * An awakened sinner, there-
fore, wishing for distresses of this kind, is a jierson seekin",^
the misery of unhelief, that he may ohtain a ))ermission to
helicN'e. .). (;.

as iiuiK".

David Jirainerd, while seekin<^ the Lord under <;reat

distress of mind, read Stoddard's "(jUidi-: to Ciiiusr

Thi

author of thai treatise was

mai

le, with God's hlessin<r, the

means o

f Bi

I'amertrs conversion.

"But here," savs liiainerd,
"Stoddard seemed to fail, lie did not tell nie anythin<^' I
could do to /)/■/// <r }nv to Christy hut left me, as it were, with
lA n-fcat (^///J'\)ci\\ veil me and Christ." Hut did not Stod-
dard's counsel to the anxious sinner lav hold of, and ur<;e
with plainness and force, the doctrine and the duty oifaitJi in
Christ ? What Brainerd needed in the way of instruction,
Stoddard supplied. But the intiuirer needed more than the
spiritual instructor coidd furnish. There is, indeed, a jj^reat
gulf hctwecn the f oul and Christ, a <^ulf which no one can
leap, and no human effort can hridge. These counsellors
may instruct and encourage the awakened and anxit^us sin-
ner. The doctrine of faith mav he unfolded never so clearlv
and its simplicity illustrated, until the fund of illustrations is
exhausted, but light comes only with believing. w.s.m'k.

What longings to be delivered from sin * * Now
these longings, cravings, desirings, Ncarnings, do you think
the Lord would have put them into our hearts if he had
ment to destroy us. t . ii. s.

It appears to me as if God had graciously provided a
wide-spread grape-vine, the fruit of which was better the
higher the clusters hang, and invited all equally to j^artake.
These Christians who luxuriate on the middle clusters,

158

GLEANINGS.

censure all those below thein for eatino^ such 'nferior grapes
when there are so much better where they, for the time
being, happen to be. They are not only urged, but at times
censured for not complying. Then, again, those in the
middle branches are chided 'oy those still higher than them-
selves. And the very highest sec the very best clusters
hopelessly beyond their reach. I have noticed that ever\
Christian appears to think it the easiest possible thing for
others to come up to Hicir standard, while th^y frankh-
acknowledge their utter inability to advance t<) tiie standard
of others who may be higher than them. t. s. s.

God's dealings with the unconverted in bringing them
from darkness to light are as varied as their countenances -
no two of either being alike. Let none stumble here. j. (;.

':f f i

•I'

One convert will first be surprised to find himself
changed entirely in his feelings towards Christians; another
will first observe in himself an unexpected delight in the
word of God; while to another, from the first, the Saviour is
revealed in all His beauty and loveliness. If, however, the
new life has begun in the soul, these affections will all bv
degrees manifest themselves. Let no one mark out for himself
a particular oider for the development of the religious prin-
ciple; but by the continual exercise of penitence and faith,
open his heart to the visitations of the blessed Spirit, and all
the lineaments of the Christian character will in time be
visible upon him — first the blade, then the cur, after that the
full corn in the ear. f. w.

Repentance is not always accompanied by sorrow.
People say: Does not the scripture affirm that "Godly
sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented
of?" Certainly it does; and wherever God works deep grief
in a man's soul for his sins, it is a blessed thing, for it will
surely lead to Christ. But God's ways are not uniform in
dealing with the soul. On some minds the light gradually

EXPERIENCES

159

nor grapes

r the time

lit at times

:)se in the

hati them-

:st clusters

that ever\

thinj^ for

y fraiiiih-

le standard

'i'. s. s.

iging them
itenances —
lere. j, o.

id himself

s; another

?ht in the

Saviour is

wever, the

will all by

or himself

ious prin-

and faith,

■it, and all

1 time be

n- that the

K. w.

sorrow.
"Godly
repented
Icep ;^rief
or it will
niform in
rraduallv

arises as a glorious truth, filling the soul with joy unspeak-
able, and in this instance the repentance is just as deep, just
as real, as in the case where there is the most unfeigned sor-
row. Repentance is not joy or sorrow, it is that change of
mind which leads to the acknowledgment of the truth of

God. M. S. 15.

From that time till the spring of the present year I date
a course of weary seeking, inconstant and variable; often de-
parting from, but as often renewed, and by (Jod's grace
never entirely given up; brightened from time to time with
a gleam of hope; sweetened from time to time with a droj),
though but a drop, of the still fountain of hea\enl\- j:)eace;
yet, as a rule, passed in the cold mists of doubt and the cliilly
storms of temptation and inward strife, anil the dim twilight
of miserable and disappointed longings.

" Oh, how gladly," she writes further, " I would ha\ e
exchanged my best things on earth, mv happiest months and
years, as far as outward things are concerned, with any one's
lot, however wretched, who possessed that ]o\ in the Lord,
which I could not find. v . u. ii.

The saved man is a great mystery to the unsa\ed; iiappv
veL oad; triumphing, \el troul)led; having no sin on him, and
yet having sin in him; having no condennKitioii, and still
having fearful conflict. Saved now, \v{ working out his
salvation, and waiting for salvatiiai. E\ en among saved men
themselves there is a great iviisunderstanding. .Some are
engaged more vvith the triumph side, others with the conflict
side of a Christian's experience. \Ve lind both most fulU-
brought out in scripture, each ha\ ing its own place and Im-
portance, w. 1'. m'k.

One fact that should ne\er be lostsightof, is this, that there
are as great diversities in the religious c.\f)cn'ci/cvs of each indi-
vidual Christian, as there are in their forms, tastes and feat-
ures. Then again some Christians go through life, singing:

160

GLEANINGS,

Blessed assurance — ^Jcsus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchased by God;
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood;

and die in the dark ; while others can only sing: —

I would not live always; I ask not to stay,
Where storm after storm rises dark o'er the way ;
The few lurid mornings that dawn on us here
Are enough for life's woes, full enough for its cheer

and die triumphantly. t. s. s.

W\%

Was so distressed while I was preaching that I left the
sermon unfinished, and felt as if the people would leave the
house. Went home, feeling ashamed to look anybody in the
face. Was ready to give up in despair, and had scarcely any
hope that I should ever again behold the light of God's
countenance. v.. p. (uiauv.)

If there be any poor sinner here who wants Jesus Christ,
let him remember that his desire after Christ is an indication
of the nearness of the Saviour to him. Christ is always with-
in eye-shot. He cries, " Look unto me and be ye saved, all
the ends of the earth." c. n. s.

My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. Because we
have trusted in His holy name. My soul shall be joyful
in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation. I sink in deep
mire, where there is no standing, where the floods overflow
me. I am weary of my crying; my throat is dried,

David, in God's Word.

The following is an extract from a private letter to the
author from Rev. J. B. Howard, Toronto. " For twelve
years she had habitually prayed at least three times a day in

EXPERIENCES.

161

secret, read the bible on her knees, 8ic. Yet when she heard
or read of the experience of those who could confidently say,
'The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirits, that we
are the childern of God.' (Rom. viii. 15). vShe mourned
deeply that she was destitute of this assurance. She rcsolvetl:
'Now I will gi\e myself xvliolly unto the Lord; and I will
look to Him alone for that grace which I know He will not
witho'.d from me." * * No sooner had she formed
this purpose than she felt a degree of confidence and peace,
which she had not before experienced, and, on going home,
instead of spending an hour in earnest supplication, as she
had been accustomed to do, she knelt down and simply told
the Lord her purpose, and asked llini, through Christ, not to
give \\&\ joy or emotion., but simply for grace to do His xvill^
and feeling assured that lie would impart that grace, and
that He would at last save her soul, which she h;'.d committed
to His care. And having thus upon her knees solemnly
covenanted her faith to be the Lord's, she lav down upon
her bed saying, 'Now I am the Lord's,' and that very mo-
ment, when not looking at herself, or sec^'ing, or ever desir-
ing feeli)ig., but simply looking at God''s promise through
yesus Christ^i she felt such an implicit reliance upon His
promises to save all who sincerely come to Him, as she had
been enabled to do, that her soul was Jilled xcith joy un-
speakable and fj((l of glory''.''''

Who is there that lives after so pure a sort that he never
has to try this issue? We have heard persons cry out against
the hymn —

"'Tis a point I long to know —
Oft it causes anxious thought —

Do I love the Lord or no?
Am I His, or am I not? "

But if a man never has an anxious thought about his state, I
should have a great many anxious thoughts about him. One
of our poets has well said—

162

GLEANINGS.

, I

i f '

If;.

f -

■' i

! t

„iii

"He that never doubted of his state,
He may, perhaps, he may too late."

* * For even the very power /o />e anxious after
grace is in itself an evidence of grace. If there is any ques-
tion about whether you have been a believer or not for the
last twenty years, do not waste time in fighting out that
question ; but begin at once now to believe. Turn your eye
to the cross, to the cross! c. h. s.

I found from time to time an inward sweetness that
would carry me away in my contemplations. This I know
not how to express otherwise than as a calm, sweet, abstrac-
tion of the soul from all the concerns of the world; and
sometimes a kind of vision or fixed ideas and imaginations
of being alone in the mountains, or some solitary wilderness,
far from all mankind, sweetly conversing with Christ, and
wrapped and swallowed up in God. President Edwards.

The love of God occupied my heart so constantly and
strongly that it was very difficult for me to think of any-
thing else. So much was my soul absorbed in God, that my
eyes and ears seemed to close of themselves to outward
objects, and to leave the soul to the exclusive influence of
the inward attractions. This immersion in God so absorbed
all things, that it seemed to place all things in a new position
relating to God. I could behold naught out of God; I be-
hold all things in Him.

■Madam Guvon, (Roman Catholic.)

Elecxion.

((

*It occasioned the author no small mental debate whether
or not it would tend "to the jjj^lorv of God" to make any
allusion to this most perplexin^^ doctrine, hut inasmuch as it
has perplexed, and will perplex, every intellii^ent thinking
Christian, he did not think it the part of wisdom to make it
conspicuous by its absence," especially as in such a book as
this, something on the suliject would naturally be expected.
While tremblingly ha/zarding a few words and extracts
thereon he feels somewhat as did Moses at the burning bush,
that he is treading on "holy ground" to do so. Some parties
appear to be drawn to this doctrine to their own hurt, as flies
are drawn to a burning lamp. The writer has written, read
and talked much on this subject in vears past, and the experi-
ence thus gained is, that it is a subject so solemn that if
talked about at all it should be with "bated breath." From
a human standpoint it is as an inclinetl plane, on which but
few are found standing together- some far above, and a vast
multitude at different distances below the apostle Paul. Some
of the best Christians of the author's acquaintance (among
them a deceased brother) apparently could (not xcoitld) not
grasp this doctrine, wdiile "thcrs could <\< so readily. The
widow of the late Col. Ringold, of the U. S. army, in a pri-
vate letter to the author says:— "At my conversion the doc-
trines of grace appeared to me as transparent as glass." One
of the most illiterate members of the church of which the
author is a member very frequently adtlresscd our meetings,
and all his addresses — quite unconsciously to himself — were
tinctured with Calvinism, so called. In all probabilitv he
had never heard or read in his life an arguement on God's
fore-ordination. t. s. s.

,- I

164

GLEANINGS.

Tell Him that you have read in the Bible, " Him that
Cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." Tell Him that
He has said, " This is a faithful saying and worthy of all
accepLation, that Christ Jesus came unto the world to save
sinners." Look to Jesus and believe on Him, and you shall
make proof of your election directly, for so surely as thou
bdievest^ thou art elect. If you will <i^ive yourself xvJiolly up
to Christ and trust Him, then you are one of God's chosci)
ones; but if you stop and say, "I want to know Jirst whether
I am elect?" You ask you know not what. Go to Jesus,
be you never so guilty, just as you are. Leave all curious
inquiry about election alone c. ir. s.

Calvinistic John Calvin, thus writes : — "In saying the
'sins of the world,' he extends this favor icithout disthiction^

to all mankind : so that everv man

may

be assured that

nothing can hinder him from obtaining salvation providing
that he comes to Christ by faith. God shew himself pro-
pitious to the whole world ; therefore afl men ivithout ex-
ceptions.! '"*c exhorted to believe in Christ and be saved.

■; ! -i ;

Arminian Rev. Charles Wesley thus writes:

my God what must I do?
Thou alone the way can'st show;
Thou canst save me in this hour ;

1 have neither will nor pozver.

If i

'I \

! i

Take away my darling sin,
Make me xvilling to be clean;
Make me ivilling to receive
All Thy goodness waits to give.
Force me, Lord, with all to part;
Tare those idols from my heart,;
Now Thy love almighty show.
Make even me a creature new.

ELECTION.

165

Conc|Ucr Thy worst foe in me,
Get Thyself the victory;
Save the vilest of the race;
Force me to be saved by grace,

Charles Wesley.

Rock oi Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee :

Let the water mid the blood, from Thy riven side which flowed.

Be of sin the double cure, save mc from its guilt and power.

Not the liibour of my hands can fulfil Thy law's demands ;
Could my zeal no respite know, could mv tears for ever tlow
All for sin could not atone : Thou must save, and Thou alone.

A'othing in my hand I brin^', simply to Thy cross I clin<j :
Naked, come to Thee for dress ; lielpless, look to Thee for j^race.
Foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me. Saviour, or I die.

Bitter indeed, — so bitter that I do not quote them here
out of respect for his bones — were the words used b}- the
j^ood Arminean Charles Wesley, against the Calvinistic A.
M. Toplady who wrote the above hvmn.

Jesus, Lover of my soiii, let me to Thy bosom tly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tcnulest still i.-* \\\^\\. '
Hide me, C) my Saviour, hide, till the storm of life is past !
Safe into the haven ijuide; oh, receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none ; hangs my helpless soul on 'rhec ;
Leave, oh leave me not alone, still support and comfort me ;
All my tiust on Thee is stayed, all my help from 'riiee I bring ;
Cover my defenceless head with the .shadow of thy wing.

Thou, () Christ' art all I want; more than all in thee I find:
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, anil lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy name, I atn all unrighteousness;
Vile and full of sin I am, Thou art full of truth and grace.

Bitter intleed — so bitter that I do not quote them here,
out of respect for his bones — were the words used by the
good Calvinistic A. M. Toplady, against the Arminean
Charles Wesley who wrote the above hymn. t. s. s.

The followint^ is an extract from one of Mr. Spurgeon's
published Sermons:- —

" When we are down on our knees praying for the
Kingdom of Christ, or standing up to sing Messiah's praises,
it is wonderful how alike we are to each other. Mr. Wes-
ley did not like Toplady, and Jvlr. Toplady did not like Wes-
ley, called him ' an old fox,' and said that he would pluck
him, and have him 'tarred and feathered'; but take up any
hymn book you like and you will find side by side, Charles
Wesley's 'Jesus Lover of My Soul,' and Toplad\'s ' Rock
of Ages Cleft for me '; and which is the better hymn of the
two. I am sure I do not know, they arc so much alike.
Both alike good." c. h. s.

" jfamcs^ a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,"
(James i, i «& 2.) writes: — Pure religion and undefiled be-
fore God and the Father is this^ To visit the fatherless and
widows in their afliiction, a)id to keep himself unspotted
from the world."

" Paul., an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God."
(2 Tim. i-i.) writes : — " For there is no respect of persons
with God " * * "For whosoever shall call on the name
of the lord shall be saved. "

pi' '

B'. i

" For the love of Christ constrainith us; because we
thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. * *
That he by the grace of God should taste death for every
man." '* The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
the Lord."

"^iiiii*

" Who will have all men to be saved and to come unto
the knowledge of the truth."

yesjts Christ says : — " Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."-r^Matt. xi, 25.

Jesus is virtually invitinf*' " 'w/iosocvcr w///" to " conic "
to Him and see for themselves whether their names are re-
corded in the '' Lamb's book of life" or not; and " xchoso-
cvcr co/ncs'''' invariably find their names duly recorded. It
will be time enough to " find fault " (Rom. ix. 19) when
such an omission is found after personal search. t. s. s.

Stop this trying to believe, but just simply believe. It
is not, he that is elected shall be saved, but he that bclievcth.
lie that lyclicveth. He that believed. d. l. m.

I wish that any sinner who is troubled about election,
for instance, would wait till God tells him he is not elected,
or, if he has any misgivings about whether he may come Ao
Christ, he would wait till he finds a passage which tells him
that he may not come. If he would find that, then there
might be some cause for distrust. Will you also find some-
where in this workl a sinner that did, trv to come to Christ,
yet Christ would not have him ? If you will find one who
did come, and to whom Christ said, "No, no; you are not of
those I died for, not one of those I chose;" if you will find
us one of that sort we shall be sorrowfullv elad to see him, —
glad because we would be glad to know the trnih^ but
sorrowful to think that that should be the truth. Nay, we
def}- Satan too find one in hell that cried to Christ for mercy
and cast himself upon the Saviour, and yet was rejected !
All the demons in the j^it, if they search to all eternity, can-
not find such an instance. There never was one, there
never will be one. Stand not back then those who are
athirst. c. n. s.

I really want to come very much, but I don't know that
I am one of the elect, says one. Now I have heard that till
I am sick and tired of it. I want to say to every unconverted

! I

M 1

168

CLEANINGS.

person, that you have no more to do with the doctrine of
election than you have to do with the governinent of China.
I am not sayin<^ this in haste; I wei<^h well my words. I
say that no unconverted man has anythinj^ to do with the
doctrine of election. You have to do with the word " w/io-
socvct-y Now, the in\itation is " xu/iosocvcr ivill let him
comcP You are invited, every one of you; and if you don't
come, it will he hecause yoji tvoii't^ not because God has
witheld from you the jDOwer to come. d. l. m.

I am as firm an adherent of the doctrine of soverijj^n
grace as any man living; but never shall this tongue hesitate
to declare the common .sahation. Whenever I am called
upon to address a congregation, I will always cry, "Ho,
every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters!" "whoso-
ever will let him take of the water of life freely." * * It
is not every believer that possesses full assurance, or enjoys
ecstasy, or is made largely useful to others. But all believers
have the common salvation. There they share and are alike,
and every one of them is saved in Christ Jesus. c. ii. s.

There are, doubtless, many now in heaven, who, when
on earth never gave the subject of Election so much as a
serious thought; and many more will, doubtless, safely arrive
there under similar circumstances. All will admit that this
earth was called into existence by God's Almighty fiat, and
that a day is coming when an anijel will " set his rijjht foot
upon the sea and his left on the earth." * * " And swear
by Him that liveth forever and ever," " who created heaven,
and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things
that therein are, and the sea, and the things ' which are
therein, that there should be time no longer," (Rev.
X. VH.) and vet question His forcordiiiation. They will
admit that God \\\\\ forcknotv just how many will be saved,
and how many lost, Init virtually in ignorance as to the
instrumoitalities employed to bring about these results.''''
Surely it was foreordained by God that I should publish this

ELECTION.

160

trine of
[ China,
.ids. I
vith the

" ZC'/iO-

let him
ou don't
jod has

L. M.

^ovenjj^n
hesitate
n called
y, "Ho,
"vvhoso-
* * It

r enjoys

relievers

ire alike,

II. s.

when

ich as a

y arrive

hat this

lat, and

ht foot
d swear
heaven,
e things
ich are
(Rev.

ey will
e saved,
to the
■cstiltsP

ish this

book, and that the reader should r^'rt-r/ it, and also the time
and causes of our respective deaths; but, notwithstanding
this, I propose to use every lawful instruincntality to prolong
my life, and pray for grace that it may be spent to God's
glory. T. s. s.

All thoughtful readers of God's Word readily admit that
it contains many most perplexing truths which ca)inot be
made to harmonize by the finite mind, inasmuch as they are
beyond human reason. (How could this solid world have
been made out of nothing ?) Let us be thankful that it is
not a prerequisite to salvation to be enabled to do so. There
are, so to speak, a variety oi tickets (texts) of admission into
heaven (though all printed with the blood of Christ). Among
the many, any one of the following will ensure admittance: —

" For God so loved the world that he gave his only be-
gotten Son, that ':r,^c».s<9^r^/'^r//V.'zr/// on Him should y/f)/* perish,
but have everlasting life.'''' — John iii, i6

" Verily, verily, I say unto yon^ he that hearcth my
Word, and belicveth on him that sent me, hath everlasting
life.'''' — John v, 34.

"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved.'''' — Rom. x, 9.

"And whosoever will., let him take of the water of life
freely.'''' — Rev. xii, 17.

Many, doubtless, are now in heaven who obtained ad-
mittance therein by the presentation of some one of the
above named tickets, (texts,) and who never so much
as ever heard or read: — "For whom he did fore know,
He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of His son. * * * ^Moreover whom He did

predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called them
also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glori-
fied. (Rom. viii. 20-30.) t. s. s.

Do not perplex yourself with his secret counsels, but
attend to your own plain duties. " Secret things belong unto
God : but those which are revealed belong to us, that we

i: i

CLEANINGS.

I'li

■^^1:

may </(> all the words of this law/' W'c must leave the secie-
thiii'^s, and attend tothe revealed. Our duty is to do accord -
iiiLC ^*^ (Jod's law. And this law i^ most clear. ^'ou are no
where told you are not elect; ]>ut you (7r<' told that Jesus
diet! for you, and you aie insitetl to come to llim. \'ex your
mind, then, no lonjj^er al)out such dillicult suhiects as election,
hut promjitly ohey what (iod commands. N. ii.

Was much exercised to-da\', on the suhject of election,
and other truths connected with it. Have heen much in
douht respectin^r offerinir myself for examination next month.

K. P. ( DIAKV. )

Of the millions who ha\c xentured to make this leap
so io speak, nolwithstandinti^ these revelations of God's
sovereitj^nty, all have ff)und themselyes " Safe /// the arms
of ycsHs''' without one exception. Calvinistic .S|:)ur<j;con, in
one of his sermons, says sometliinL:^ like this: — " I have risked
\w\ soul on the simple promi'-es of God's Word ; and I ur_y;e
}ou all to do the same; and, if at hist we are all lost l)y
so (h)injj^, I ji^ive you all leave to taunt me throuL(hout eternity
with hein*r the cause of \()ur soul's loss!"

" Come unto me,'' saith Christ.

" lie that Cometh unto me, I will in xo wise cast out,"
saith Christ. T. s. s.

God has <^iy(.n men hands wherehv they can make bricks
out of His clay, houses out of Ills wood, enj^ines out of His
iron, &c., hut a])solutely iiotJtiiio- ^yhatcvcr can be made bv
man ; no, not so much as a c^rain of sand ! God never de-
signed that they shoukl ; and the attempt is never made.
God has given to men reasoning faculties to co-operate with
the hand in working out many problems appertaining to
earth, sky, and sea. While the hands unhesitatingly acknow-
ledge their inability to add one [jarticle to the earth God has
made by His Almighty fiat, reason xc///, in spite of reason,
call in question many of God's dealings with the souls and

ELECTION,

171

bodi

ics of men. Who h:is not, at tiiiK's, rebelled against God's
Knou'iii'i' this to be the case, it ini<jfht have

sovereij^titv ?

liecii policy on my pait to have left out a ^(oodly miniber of
the extracts in which it is named. Ij^norinjj;, as I do, pnlicy
in things spiritual, 1 ha\e Nentured to insert them.

In connection witli this doctrine allow me to add what 1
think will bo conceded as a fact ; that Calvini^ts are made
out of Armlnians, but Arminians are never made out of
Calvinists, and that the Arminian who becomes a C'alvinist
considers that he has thereby made some reli<j;ious proo-rcss.

Just as I am, without one plea,
Hut that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, 1 come, I come!

Just as 1 am, jioor, wretched, blind;
Sij^ht, riches, healinjj^ of the mind.
Yea, all 1 need, in Thee I Inid,
O Lamb of God, I ci^me, I come!

Just as I am — Thou wilt receive,
VV^ilt welcome, pardon, dense, relieve !

ecause Th\' i:)romise

I bel

levc.

O Land) of God, 1 come, I come!

Fust as I am — Thy love unknown
ILis broken everv harries down ;
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Assurance.

Healthy life Is conscious life, and rejoices in lieing actino-
and growing. You wlio arc strangers to the people of God
may think me fanatical, but indeed, I am only speaking
words of truth and soberness when I say that the conscious
possession of a heavenly life is common among believers,
and in fact i. a large part of the common salvation. * *
Our constant theme is immediate salvation from sin, and we
are perpetually insisting upon it that this salvation is a pre-
sent business, to be attended to at once for the purpose of
to-day. . c. n. s.

All you have to do is just to assume that the promises
were made for you, and with this belief, to go right on and
live as we ought to li\ e with such hope and faith, asking
help from Ilim, arid when you fail, begin right over
again. Thus taking Christ at His word is "accepting
Christ." The Ciiuistian Weekly.

He that walketh in darkness and hath no light, let him
trust in the name of the Lord. (Isa. 50, lo.)

"Blessed is the man whose sins are /r;;-^7'x'<7/,'' but where
there is no remission of sins, there is no b/vsscdiicss. Now,
there can be no blessedness but that which is enjoyed^ none
is enjoyed unless it \% felt- — it cannot be felt unless it is
possess(.'d, it is not possessed unless a man k?nnvs it, and how
does he know it who doubts whetlicr he /iath it or not? Hath
Christs said '•'•believe^'''' and shall man say '•'■doubt !''"''' j. c.

ASSURANCE.

173

There must, as a rule, be a consciousness of safety in
Christ before there can lie <^ratitu(le, and acceptable deeils.
Can a man be so passive, and the translation from death to
life so imperceptable to himself, that he knows little or noth-
\n^ about it? There is no scriptural warrant for sa3inL( so.
* * I do not fortijet that a sa\ed person mav, from want
of watchfulness, become to some extent "blind," "and forget
that he was purLi;ed from his old sins." h'ut such a case must
be distinguished from that of one who h.:i> ftcvcr /^(?</ spiritual
intelligence to api;)rehen(l Christ. * * I am forced to the
appalling conclusion that, as a rule, where assurance is want-
ing, and consequentlv, "love, joy, peace, etc," it is because
simple confidence in Christ is wanting, theiefore, there is wo
safety. I. g.

In this assmance I find sweetest rest.
Trusting in Jesus, I know I am blest;
Satan, dismayed, from nu' soul now doth ilee,
When I just tell him that Jesus loves me.

Beloved hearer, vou ought not to rest without l//ozc///'>-
that you are saved. You may know it : if it be true you
ought to know it. I >'o .lot think that you have any right
to sit quietly on tha*^ sci^t for ten mnuites without knowing
that you are sa\cd : :"oi it is an a\vful thing to be in doubt as
to whether you arc under the bondage of sin, in doubt as to
your being at peace with God. This is not a subject upon
which uncertainty can be endured. You say, "'Tis a point
I long to know." It is well that you long to know it.

c. n. s.

Sometimes I would go up into my chamber, and by way
of self-examination, I ui^ed to ask myself this cpiestion— yJw
I afraid to die {' If I should drop down dead in my cham-
ber, can I say that I should joyfully close my eyes ? Well,
it often happened that I could not honestly say so. Oh,
then I said, "I have never belie\cd in Christ, for if 1 had put
my trust in the Lord Jesus, I should not be afraid to die, but

1$ i'

til l!j

174

GLEANINGS.

I should be quite confident." * * There arc many of
God's blessed ones, who throuj^h fcai- of death, haxc been
much of their lives subject to bondage. c. H. s.

Then was Christian glad and lightsome, ai;d said with a
merry lieart^ He hath gi\en me rest for mv sorrow, and
life for my death. Then he stood awhile to look and won-
tler, for it Nvas most surprising to him that the sight of tlie
cross should thus ease him of his burden. lie looked there-
fore aPvl looked again till the springs that were in his head
sent the water down his cheeks. * * Tiien Christian
gave three leaps for joy, and went on his way singing.

J. 1'..

"The sonl that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not — I will not desert to his foes ;
That soul — though all hell should endeavour to shake,
I'll never — no never — no, never forsake !"

But sujopose for a moment, and the wish is father of the
thought, that they may be saved, though they do not know
it, can they be bold, happy, strong and useful without it ?
When all is uncertaint^• and sustx'nse rey-ardinu' their own
case, how can they possibly work for Christ ? j. g.

Not a care is hovering o'er me,

Not a shade is on my brow,
For my soul is stayed in Jesus,

And my trust is in Him n(n\'.

Yes, sweet vSa\iour, Thou art \\'\\\\ me.

And I revel in Thy lo\e,
For I know, complete in Thee Lord,

1 shall dwell with TJiee above.

Mrs. DiiNNiNG.

Shall \vc meet, with inanv a loved one
That was torn from our emhrace?

Shall we listen to their voices,
And behold them face to face ?

vShall we meet with Christ our Saviour,
W'hen He comes to claim His o\\-n ?

Shall wc know his blessed favour,
And sit df)wn upon His throne?

\Vlien the son of man shall come in his L;lor\', and all
the holy anj^els with him, then shall he sit upotk the throne
of his glory :

176

GLEANINGS.

And before him shall be gathered all nations: and lie
shall separate thetn one from another, as a shepherd
divideth his sheep from the <^oats :

And he shall set the sheep on his ri<^ht hand, bnt the
goats on the left.

Then shall the Ivini^ sav unto them on his ritjfht hand,
Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kinj^dom pi"e-
pared for yon from the foundation of the world :

Then shall he sav also unto them on the left hand,]
Djpart from me, ve eursed into everlasting" fire, prepared for
the devil and his an^-els. God's Word.

"Almost persuaded," now to believe;

"Almost persuaded," Ciirist to receive:
Seems now some soul to say ? — "(to, JSpirit, "^o Thy way,
Some more convenient day, on Thee I'll call."

"Almost persuaded" — harvest is past !

"Almost persuaded" — doom comes at last !
"Almost" cannot avail; "almost" is but to fail :
wSad, sad, that bitter wail — "almost," — bitt lost !

THE END.

;: and lie
shepherd

but the

[ht hand,
lorn ])re-

;ft hand,]
oared for
Word.

'liy way,