PRINCETON, N. J. '*^ 
 
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 Presented byV C \ V^. 0\x^"r\0 VcX ^OT^^vA^oV, 
 
 BV 4501 .R9 1853 
 Ryle, J, C. 1816-1900. 
 Startling questions 
 
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STARTLING QUESTIONS. 
 
 BY THE^ 
 
 EEV. J. C. EYLE, B.A., 
 
 AUTHOR OF " LIVING OR DEAD "?" " WHEAT OR CHAFF 1" ETC. 
 
 N E W Y R K : 
 ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS, 
 
 No. 285 BROADWAY. 
 1853. 
 
T. B. SMITH, STKREOTYPBR, 
 216 WILLIAM STREET, N. Y. 
 
 R. CRAIGHEAD, PRINTER, 
 53 VKSEY STE EET, N. Y. 
 
 -J 
 
€nniiuiB. 
 
 Page 
 Where art Thou ? 5 
 
 Are you an Heir ?. 43 
 
 Shall you be Saved ? 90 
 
 How READEST Thou ? 144 
 
 What thixx y'ou of the Crors ? 260 
 
 Have you Assurance ? 304 
 
 L..., 
 
Eeader, — 
 
 The question before your eyes is the first 
 which God asked of man after the fall. It is 
 the question He put to Adam in the day that 
 he ate the forbidden fruit, and became a sin- 
 ner. 
 
 In vain did Adam and his wife hide them- 
 selves among the trees of the garden of Eden. 
 In vain did they try to escape the eye of the 
 all-seeing God. They heard the voice of the 
 Lord God walking in the cool of the day. 
 " And the Lord God called unto Adam, and 
 said unto him, Where art thou ?" (Gen. iii. 9.) 
 Think for a moment hov\^ awful those words 
 must have sounded 1 Think what the feelings 
 of Adam and Eve must have been ! 
 
 Reader, 6,000 years have well-nigh passed 
 away since this question v/as first asked. Mil- 
 
"where art thou?" 
 
 lions of Adam's children have lived and died, 
 and gone to their own place. Millions are yet 
 upon earth, and every one of them has a soul 
 to be lost or saved. But no question ever has 
 been, or ever can be asked more solemn than 
 that which is before you : — Where art thou ? 
 Where art thou in the sight of God? — Come now, 
 and give me your attention, while I tell you a 
 few things which may throw light upon this 
 question. 
 
 I know not who you are, — whether you are 
 a Churchman or a Dissenter ; — whether you 
 are learned or unlearned; — whether you are 
 rich or poor ; — whether you are old or young : 
 about all this I know nothing. But I do know 
 that you have got an immortal soul, and I 
 want that soul to be saved. I do know that 
 you have got to stand before the judgment- 
 seat of Grod, and I want you to be prepared 
 for it. I do know that you will be forever in 
 heaven or in hell, and I want you to escape 
 hell, and reach heaven. I do know that the 
 Bible contains most solemn things about the 
 inhabitants of the earth, and I want every 
 
"WHEEE AET THOTJ ?" 
 
 man, woman, and child in the world to hear 
 them. I believe every word in the Bible ; and 
 because I believe it, I ask every reader of this 
 paper, " Where art thou in the sight of GodP' 
 
 I. In the first place, there are many people 
 about whom the Bible shows me I ought to be 
 exceedingly afraid. Reader, art thou one of 
 them? 
 
 There are those, who, if Bible words mean 
 anything, have not yet been converted and 
 born again. They are not justified. They 
 are not sanctified. They have not the Spirit. 
 They have no faith. They have no grace. 
 Their sins are not forgiven. Their hearts are 
 not changed. They are not ready to die. * 
 They are not meet for heaven. They are nei- 
 ther godly, nor righteous, nor saints. If they 
 are, Bible words mean nothing at all. 
 
 Some of these persons, to all appearance, 
 think no more about their souls than the 
 beasts that perish. There is nothing to show 
 that they think of the life to come any more 
 than the horse and ox, which have no under- 
 standing. Their treasure is evidently all on 
 
earth. Their good things are plainly all on 
 this side of the grave. Their attention is 
 swallowed up by the perishable things of time. 
 Meat, drink, and clothing, — money, houses, 
 and land, — business, pleasure, or politics, — • 
 marrying, reading, or company ; — these are 
 the kind of things which fill their hearts. 
 They live as if there were no such book as 
 the Bible. They go on as if resurrection and 
 eternal judgment were not true, but a lie. As 
 to grace, and conversion, and justification, and 
 holiness, — they are things which, like Gallio, 
 they care not for ; — they are words and names 
 they are either ignorant of, or despise. They 
 ' are all going to die. They are all going to be 
 judged. And yet they seem to be even mor§ 
 hardened than the devil, for they appear nei- 
 ther to believe nor tremble. Alas ! what a 
 state this is for an immortal soul to be in I 
 But oh ! how common ! 
 
 Some of the persons I speak of have got a 
 form of religion, but after all it is nothing but 
 a form. They profess and call themselves 
 Christians. They go to a place of worship on 
 
Sunday. But when you have said that, you 
 have said all. Where is the religion of the 
 New Testament to be seen in their lives ? 
 Nowhere at all ! Sin is plainly not consid- 
 ered their worst enemy, nor the Lord Jesus 
 their best friend, — nor the will of Grod their 
 rule of life, — nor salvation the great end of 
 their existence. The spirit of slumber keeps 
 possession of their hearts, and they are at ease, 
 self-satisfied, and content. They are in a Lao- 
 dicean frame of mind, and fancy they have 
 enough religion. 
 
 God speaks to them continually, by mercies, 
 — by afflictions, — by Sabbaths, — by sermons ; 
 but they will not hear. Jesus knocks at the 
 door of their hearts, but they will not open. 
 They are told of death and eternity, and re- 
 main unconcerned. They are warned against 
 the love of the world, and plunge into it week 
 after week without shame. They hear of 
 Christ coming upon earth to die for sinners, 
 and go away unmoved. There seems a place 
 in their hearts for everything but God ; — room 
 for business, — room for pleasures, — room for 
 
trifling, — room for sin, — room for the devil, — 
 room for the world : but, like the inn at Beth- 
 lehem, no room for Him who made them, — no 
 admission for Jesus, the Spirit, and the Word. 
 Alas ! what a condition of things this is ! But 
 alas ! how common I 
 
 Keader, I put it solemnly to your conscience, 
 as in the sight of God, are you one of those 
 persons whom I have just described ? There 
 are thousjjnds of such people in our land, — 
 thousands in Great Britain, — thousands in Ire- 
 land, — thousands in our country parishes, — 
 thousands in our towns, — thousands among 
 Churchmen, — thousands among Dissenters, — 
 thousands among rich, — thousands among 
 poor. Now, are you one of them ? If you 
 are, I fear for you, — I tremble for you, — I am 
 alarmed for you, — I am exceeding!}'- afraid. 
 
 What is it that I fear for you ? I fear every- 
 thing. I fear lest you should persist in reject- 
 ing Christ till you have sinned away your own 
 soul. I fear lest you be given over to a repro- 
 bate mind, and awake no more. I fear lest 
 you come to such deadness and hardness of 
 
heart, that nothing but the voice of the arch- 
 angel and the trump of God will break your 
 sleep. I fear lest you cling to this vain world 
 so closely, that nothing but death will part it 
 and you. I fear lest you should live without 
 Christ, die without pardon, rise again without 
 hope, receive judgment without mercy, and 
 sink into hell without remedy. 
 
 Eeader, I must warn you, though I may 
 seem, like Lot, as one that mocks. I do sol- 
 emnly warn you to flee from the wrath to 
 come. I entreat you to remember that the 
 Bible is all true, and must be fulfilled, — that 
 the end of your present ways is misery and 
 sorrov/, — that without holiness no man shall 
 see the Lord, — that the wicked shall be turned 
 into hell, and all the people that forget God, 
 — that God shall one day take account of all 
 your doings, and that Christless sinners like 
 yourself can never stand in His sight, for he 
 is holy, and a consuming fire. Oh ! that you 
 would consider these things ! Where is the 
 man that can hold his finger for a minute in 
 
the flame of a candle ? Who shall dwell with, 
 everlasting burnings ? 
 
 I know well the thoughts that Satan will 
 j)ut into your heart, as you read these words. 
 I know well the excuses that you are going to 
 make. You will tell me, "religion is all very 
 well, but a man must live." I answer, "it is 
 quite true a man must live^ but it is no less 
 true that he must also die^ You may tell me, 
 "a man cannot starve." I answer, " that I do 
 not want any one to starve, but neither also 
 do I want any one to burn in hell." You 
 may tell me, "a man must mind his business 
 first in this world." I answer, "yes! and the 
 first business a man should mind is his eternal 
 business, — the business of his soul." 
 
 Eeader, I beseech you in all affection to 
 break off your sins, — to repent and be con- 
 verted. I beseech you to change your course, 
 — to alter your ways about religion, — to turn 
 from your present carelessness about your 
 soul, and become a new man. I offer to you 
 through Jesus Christ the forgiveness of all 
 past sins, — free and complete forgiveness, — 
 
ready, present, everlasting forgiveness. I tell 
 you in my Master's name, that if you will turn 
 to the Lord Jesus Christ, this forgiveness shall 
 at once be your own. Oh ! do not refuse so 
 gracious an invitation. Do not hear of Christ 
 dying for you,— Christ shedding His own 
 blood for you,— Christ stretching out His 
 hands to you, and yet remain unmoved. Do 
 not love this poor perishing world better than 
 eternal life. Dare to be bold and decided. 
 Eesolve to come out from the broad way 
 which leads to destruction. Arise and escape 
 for your life, while it is called to-day. Ee- 
 pent, believe, pray, and be saved. 
 
 Eeader, I fear for you in your present state. 
 My heart's desire and prayer is that God may 
 make you fear for yourself 
 
 11. In the second place there are many peo- 
 ple about whom the Bible shows me I ought to 
 stand in doubt. Eeader, art thou one of these ? 
 
 There are many whom I must call almost 
 Christians, for I know no other expression in 
 the Bible which so exactly describes their 
 state. They have many things about them 
 
which are right, and good, and praiseworthy 
 in the sight of God. They are regular and 
 moral in their lives. They are free from glar- 
 ing outward sins. They keep up many de- 
 cent and proper habits. They are usually 
 diligent in their attendance on means of grace. 
 They appear to love the preaching of the Gos- 
 pel. They are not offended at the truth as it 
 is in Jesus, however plainly it may be spoken. 
 They have no objection to religious company, 
 religious books, and religious talk. They 
 agree to all you say when you speak to them 
 about their souL And all this is well. 
 
 But still there is no movement in the hearts 
 of these people that even a microscope can de- 
 tect. They are like those who stand still. 
 Weeks after weeks, years after years roll over 
 their heads, and they are just where they 
 were. They sit under our pulpits. They ap- 
 prove of onr sermons. And yet, like Pha- 
 raoh's lean kine, they are nothing the better 
 apparently for all they receive. There is al- 
 ways the same regularity about them, — the 
 same constant attendance on means of grace, 
 
"WHEEE ART THOU?" 15 
 
 — the same wishing and hoping, — the same 
 way of talking about rehgion ; but there is 
 nothing more. There is no going forward in 
 their Christianity. There is no life, and heat, 
 and reality in it. Their souls seem to be at 
 a dead lock. And all this is sadly wrong. 
 
 Header, are you one of these people ? There 
 are thousands of them in this day, — thousands 
 in our churches, and thousands in our chapels. 
 I ask you to give an honest answer to the ' 
 question : Is this the state of your soul in the 
 sight of God ? If it is, I can only say your 
 condition is most unsatisfactory. As the apos- 
 tle said to the Galatians, so I say to you, "I 
 stand in doubt of you." 
 
 How can I feel otherwise about you? 
 There are but two sides in the world, — the 
 side of Christ and the side of the devil ; and 
 yet you make it doubtful on which side you 
 ought to be placed. I dare not say you are 
 altogether careless about religion, but I cannot 
 call you decided. I shrink from numbering 
 you among the ungodly, but I may not place 
 you among the Lord's children. You have 
 
16 "where art thou?" 
 
 some light ; but is it saving knowledge ? You 
 have some feeling ; but is it grace ? You are 
 not profane ; but are you a man of God ? You 
 may possibly be one of the Lord's people ; but 
 you dwell so near the borders, tliat I cannot 
 discern to what nation you belong. You may 
 not perhaps be spiritually dead ; but like a 
 sickly tree in winter, I hardly know whether 
 you are alive. And thus you live on without 
 satisfactory evidences. I cannot help doubt- 
 ing about you. Surely there is a cause. 
 
 I cannot read the secrets of your hearts. 
 Perhaps there is some pet bosom sin, which 
 you are holding fast, and will not give up. 
 This is a disease which checks the growth of 
 many a professing Christian. Perhaps you 
 are kept back by the fear of man : you are 
 afraid of the blame or laughter of your fellow 
 creatures. This is an iron chain that fetters 
 many a soul. Perhaps you are careless about 
 private prayer and communion with God. 
 This is one reason why multitudes are weak 
 and sickly in spirit. But whatever your rea- 
 son be, I warn you in all affection to take care 
 
a 
 
 WHERE ART THOU ?" 17 
 
 what you are doing. Your state is neither 
 satisfactory nor safe. Like the Gibeonites, 
 jou are found in the train of Israel, but like 
 them you have no title to Israel's portion, 
 Israel's consolations, and Israel's rewards. Oh ! 
 awake to a sense of your danger I Strive to 
 enter in. 
 
 Header, you must give up this halting be- 
 tween two opinions, if ever you mean to enjoy 
 good evidences of your salvation. There must 
 be an alteration in you. There must be a 
 move. There is no real standing still in true 
 Christianity. If Grod's work is not going for- 
 ward in a man's heart, the devil's is ; and if a 
 man is always at the same point in religion, the 
 probability is that he has got no real religion 
 at all. It is not enough to wear Christ's liv- 
 ery ; we must also fight Christ's battle. It is 
 not enough to cease to do evil ; we must also 
 learn to do well. It will not suffice to do no 
 harm ; we must also labor to do good. Oh ! 
 tremble, lest you should prove an unprofitable 
 receiver of God's talents, — a barren cumberer 
 of the ground, and your end be to be burned. 
 
 2 
 
Eemember, lie that is not wifh Christ, is 
 against Him. 
 
 Keader, I charge you strongly never to rest 
 till you have found whether you have grace 
 in your heart or not. Wishes and desires, and 
 good feelings, and convictions, are all excellent 
 things in their way, but they alone will never 
 save you. I like to see l3uds and blossoms on 
 a tree, but I like better to see ripe fruit. The 
 way-side hearers in the parable listened, but 
 the word took no root in them ; — they were 
 not saved. The stony ground hearers listen- 
 ed with joy, but the word had no depth in 
 them ; — they were not saved. The thorny 
 ground hearers brought forth something like 
 fruit, but the word was choked by the world ; 
 — they were not saved. Do you tremble at 
 the word ? So also did Felix, but he was not 
 saved. Do you like to hear good sermons and 
 many things which are right ? So also did 
 Herod, but he was not saved. Do you wish 
 to die the death of the righteous ? So did 
 Balaam, but he was not saved. Have you 
 knowledge? So had Judas Iscariot, but he 
 
was not saved. And shall you be saved 
 as you are? I doubt it. Eemember Lot's 
 wife. 
 
 Eeader, once more I call upon you to take 
 care what you are doing. If you will not stir 
 up yourself to go forward, how should I feel 
 anything but doubt about your soul. 
 
 But there are others about whom I stand in 
 doubt, who are in worse case even than the 
 almost Christians. These are those who once 
 made a high profession of religion, but have 
 now given it up. They were once reckoned 
 to be true believers, but they have turned 
 back again to the world and fallen away. 
 They have gone back from the point in reli- 
 gion they once seemed to have reached. They 
 walk no more in the ways they once seemed 
 to choose. In short, they are backsliders. 
 
 Reader, is this the state of your soul ? If 
 it is, know for a certainty that your condition 
 is most unsatisfactory. It matters little what 
 your past experience was. It proves little 
 that you were counted among true Christians ? 
 It may have been all a mistake and a delusion. 
 
n 
 
 20 "where art thotj?" 
 
 It is your present condition of soul that I look 
 at, and as I do so, I stand in doubt. 
 
 I believe tliere was a time wlien all the saints 
 of God who saw you rejoiced at the sight. 
 You seemed then to love the Lord Jesus in 
 sincerity, and to be wilHng to give up the 
 broad way forever, and forsake all for the Gos- 
 pel's sake. The Word of God appeared sweet 
 and precious to you ; the voice of Christ's 
 ministers a most pleasant sound ; the assembly 
 of the Lord's people the place you loved best ; 
 the company of true believers your chief de- 
 light. You were never missing at the weekly 
 meeting. Your place was never empty at 
 Church. Your Bible was never long out of 
 your hands. There were no days in your life 
 without prayer. Your zeal was indeed fer- 
 vent. Your religious affections were truly 
 warm. You did run well for a season. But, 
 oh I reader, where, where are you now ? 
 
 You have gone back to the world. You 
 lingered ; you looked back ; you returned ; I 
 fear you had left your heart behind you. You 
 have taken up the old man's deeds once more* 
 
You have left your first love. Your goodness 
 has proved like the morning clouds, and as 
 the early dew it has gone away. Your serious 
 impressions are fast dying off ; they are getting 
 weaker and fainter every day. Your convic- 
 tions are fast withering up ; they are changing 
 color like leaves in autumn — they will soon 
 drop off and disappear. The gray hairs, which 
 tell of decline, are coming here and there upon 
 you. The preaching you once hung upon, 
 now wearies you. The books you delighted 
 in give pleasure no more. The progress of 
 Christ's Gospel is no longer interesting. The 
 company of God's children is no longer sought. 
 They or you must he changed. — You are becom- 
 ing shy of holy people, impatient of rebuke 
 and advice, uncertain in your tempers, careless 
 about little sins, not afraid of mixing with the 
 world. Once it was not so. — You may keep up 
 some form of religion perhaps, but as to vital 
 godliness you are fast cooling down. Already 
 you are lukewarm ; by-and-by you will bo 
 cold ; and before long you will be icy, religion- 
 frozen, and more dead than you were before. 
 
You are grieving tlie Spirit, and He will soon 
 leave you. You are tempting the devil, and 
 he will soon come to you ; your heart is ready 
 for him; your last state will be worse than 
 your first. Oh 1 reader, strengthen the things 
 which remain which are ready to die. How 
 can I possibly help feeling doubt about your 
 soul?^ 
 
 But I cannot let you go without trying to 
 
 * I find that many people object to the expression, 
 " You are grieving the Spirit, and He will soon leave you." 
 On calm reflection I am not disposed to alter it. I think it 
 dangerous to attempt to be more systematic than the Bible 
 in our theology. I think there is Scriptural warrant for 
 saying that an unconverted man who possesses great light 
 and knowledge in the things of religion, and yet refuses to 
 give up sin and the world, does, in a certain sense, grieve the 
 Holy Spirit. I would refer to Isai. Ixiii. 10; Acts, vii. 51 ; 
 Heb. X. 29. In taking this ground, I believe I am in entire 
 harmony with one of the most Scriptural divines that ever 
 lived ; I mean John Bunyan. In " Pilgrim's Progress" he 
 represents the man in the iron cage at the Interpreter's 
 house, saying to Christian, " I sinned against the light of 
 the word, and the goodness of God. I have grieved the 
 Spirit, and He is gone. Tempted the devil, and he has come 
 to me. I have provoked God to anger, and He has left me.'' 
 
 The length to which people may go in a profession of re- 
 ligion, and yet remain unconverted in heart and be lost at 
 last, is one of the most awful and soul-searching points in 
 theology. 
 
 i... 
 
"where art thou?" 23 
 
 do you good. I do pity you indeed, because 
 you are so unhappy. I know it ; I am sure 
 of it ; it is useless to deny it. You have been 
 unhappy ever since you fell away. You are 
 unhappy at home, and unhappy abroad ; un- 
 happy in company, and unhappy alone ; un- 
 happy when you lie down, and unhappy when 
 you rise up. You may have got riches, honor, 
 love, obedience, friends ; but yet the sting re- 
 mains. There is a famine of consolation about 
 you ; there is an utter dearth of inward peace. 
 You are sick at heart ; you are ill at ease ; 
 you are discontented with every body, because 
 you are discontented with yourself. You are 
 like a bird that has wandered from her nest — 
 you never feel in your right place. You have 
 too much religion to enjoy the world, and too 
 little religion to enjoy God. You are weary 
 of life, and yet afraid to die. Truly the words 
 of Solomon are made good in your case, " You 
 are filled with your own ways." 
 
 Eeader, notwithstanding all your backslid- 
 ings, there is hope even for you. There is no 
 disease of soul that the glorious Gospel cannot 
 
cure. There is a remedy even for your case, — 
 humbling, pride-lowering, I know, — but a sure 
 remedy ; and I earnestly beseech you to take 
 it. That remedy is the fountain opened for 
 all sins, — the free mercy of God in Christ 
 Jesus. Go and wash in that fountain without 
 delay, and Jesus Christ shall make thee whole. 
 Take down your neglected Bible, and see 
 how David fell and lay in foul sin a whole 
 year, and yet when he repented and turned to 
 God, there was mercy for him. Turn to the 
 history of the apostle Peter, and see how he 
 denied his Master three times with an oath, 
 and yet when he wept and humbled himself, 
 there was mercy for him. Hear what comfort- 
 able words our Lord and Saviour sends to you 
 this day, " Come unto me all ye that labor and 
 are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 
 *' Thou hast played the harlot with many 
 lovers, yet, return again to me." " Though 
 your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white 
 as snow ; though they be red like crimson, 
 they shall be as wool." " Eeturn, ye back- 
 sliding children, and I will heal your back- 
 
slidings." Oh ! that you may take up the 
 words of Israel this day, and reply, " Behold, 
 I come unto thee, for thou art the Lord my 
 God." (Matt. xi. 28 ; Jer. iii. 1 ; Isai. i. 18 ; 
 Jer. iii. 22.) 
 
 Eeader, I pray God these words may not be 
 brought before you in vain. But remember, 
 until you turn from your backslidings, I must 
 stand in doubt about your soul. 
 
 III. In the third place there are some people 
 about whom the Bible tells me / ov^ht to ftd 
 a good hope. Reader, art thou one of these ? 
 
 The people I speak of have found out that 
 they are guilty sinners, and have fled to Christ 
 by faith for salvation. They have found out 
 that sin is a miserable and unhappy thing, and 
 they hate it, and long to be free from its pres- 
 ence altogether. In themselves they see no- 
 thing but weakness and corruption, but in the 
 Lord Jesus they see the very things their souls 
 require ; — pardon, peace, light, comfort, and 
 strength. Christ's blood, Christ's cross, Christ's 
 righteousness, Christ's intercession, — these are 
 the things on which their minds love to dwell. 
 
Their affections are now set on things above. 
 They care for nothing so much as pleasing God. 
 While they live, their chief desire is to live to 
 the Lord. When they die, their only desire 
 is to die in the Lord. After death, their hope 
 is that they shall be with tl>e Lord. 
 
 Keader, is this the state of your soul ? Do 
 you know anything of the faith and hope, and 
 affections and experience, which I have just 
 described? Do you find anything in your 
 heart which answers to the account I have just 
 given ? — If you do, I thank God for it, — I con- 
 gratulate you in your condition, — I feel a good 
 hope about your soul. 
 
 I know well that you live in a world full of 
 trials. You are yet in the wilderness ; you 
 are not at home. I know well that pride, and 
 unbelief, and sloth are continually struggling 
 for the mastery within you. You have fight- 
 ings without and fears within. I doubt not 
 your heart is so treacherous and deceitful that 
 you are often sick of yourself and say, " Never 
 was heart like mine." But notwithstanding 
 all this. I must hope well for your soul. 
 
"where akt thou?" 27 
 
 I hope, because I believe that God has begun 
 a work in you which He will never allow to 
 be overthrown. Who taught you to hate sin 
 and love Christ ? Who made you come out 
 from the world and delight in God's service ? 
 These things do not come from your own heart. 
 Nature bears no such fruit. These things are 
 the work of God, who where He begins, al- 
 ways finishes ; who where He gives grace, will 
 also give glory. Surely, here is ground for 
 hope. 
 
 I hope, because I believe you have an in- 
 terest in an everlasting covenant, a covenant 
 ordered in all things and sure. The stamp of 
 heaven is upon you. The marks of the Lord 
 Jesus are on your soul. Father, Son, and 
 Holy Ghost, have all engaged to carry out 
 your soul's salvation. There is a threefold 
 cord around you which never yet was broken. 
 Surely, here is ground for hope. 
 
 I hope because you have a Saviour, whose 
 blood can cleanse from all sin, — a Saviour who 
 invites all, and casts out none that come to 
 Him, — a Saviour who will not break the 
 
bruised reed, nor quench tlie smoking flax, — 
 a Saviour who can be touched with the feel- 
 ing of your infirmities, and is not ashamed to 
 call you brethren, — a Saviour who never alters, 
 the same yesterday, to-day, and forever, al- 
 ways able to save to the uttermost, always 
 mighty to save. Surely here is ground for 
 hope. 
 
 I hope, because the love of Christ is a love 
 that passeth knowledge. So free and unde- 
 served ! So costly, even unto death ! So power- 
 ful and all-conquering ! So unchanging and en- 
 during ! So patient and forbearing ! So ten- 
 der and sympathizing ! Truly our sins pass 
 knowledge, and this is the very love our souls 
 need. Surely here is ground for hope. 
 
 I hope because God has given to you ex- 
 ceeding great and precious promises, — prom- 
 ises of being kept unto the end, — promises of 
 grace for every time of need, and strength ac- 
 cording to your day, — promises that never yet 
 were broken, all yea and amen in Christ Jesus. 
 Surely here is ground for hope. 
 
 Oh ! reader, if you are a believer, these 
 
things are a strong foundation. If God be for 
 you, who shall be against you ? There is no 
 condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. 
 Nothing shall ever separate them from the love 
 of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 
 
 Come now, and let me tell you what I want 
 you and every true Christian to aim at. I 
 want you to seek more hope. I want you not 
 to rest satisfied with tb-it little mite of confi- 
 dence which forms tiie whole stock of many 
 of God's children. I want you to seek the 
 ful 1 assurance oi hope, — that lively hope which 
 makes a man never asharned. 
 
 I speak as a fellow traveller in the narrow 
 way. I speak as one who desires that his own 
 hope may grow and increase every year that 
 he lives, and wishes the hope of all his brethren, 
 to grow too. I know and am persuaded that 
 I write things which are for your peace. As 
 ever you would have a few days of darkness, 
 • — as ever you would feel God's face smiling 
 on your soul, — as ever you would have joy 
 and peace in believing, — by all your recollec- 
 tions of past short-comings, — by all your de- 
 
sires of comfort in time to come, — I charge 
 you, I exhort you, I beseech you, to seek the 
 full assurance of hope. 
 
 Ah I reader, if you are a true believer, you 
 know well that we need these mutual exhor- 
 tations. Yoa and I are but children in the 
 Lord's service ai our very best. Our souls are 
 ever ready to cleave to the dust. There is 
 room for improvement iti us every day. Listen 
 then while I tell you a few things which we 
 must never forget, if we would enjoy more 
 hope, — which we must never lose sight of, if 
 we would keep it when we have got it. 
 
 If we want to grow in grace, and have more 
 hope, we tnust seek more knowledge of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ How little do we know of Him ! 
 Our cold affections towards Him are a witness 
 against ourselves. Our eyes can never be open 
 to what He is and does for us, or we should 
 love Him more. There are some Christians 
 whose minds seem ever running on the doc- 
 trine of sanctification, to the exclusion of 
 everything else. They can argue warmly 
 about little points of practice ; yet they are 
 
r 
 
 WHERE ART THOU 
 
 2" 
 
 31 
 
 — -r 
 
 cold about Christ. They live by rule, they 
 walk strictly, they do many things, they fancy 
 in a short time they shall be very strong. 
 But all this time they lose sight of this grand 
 truth, — that nothing is so sanctifying as knowl- 
 edge of the Lord Jesus, and communion with 
 Him. " Abide in me," He says Himself, 
 " and I in you. As the branch cannot bear 
 fruit, except it abide in the vine ; no more 
 can ye, except ye abide in me." Christ must 
 be the spring of our holiness, as well as the 
 rock of our faith. Christ must be all in all. 
 I doubt not He is precious to you that believe. 
 Precious He ought to be, because of His offices, 
 and precious because of His work. Precious 
 He ought to be, for what He has done already ; 
 — He has called us, quickened us, washed us, 
 justified us. Precious He ought to be for what 
 He is doing even now ; — strengthening us, in- 
 terceding for us, sympathizing with us. Pre- 
 cious He ought to be for what He will do yet ; 
 — He will keep us to the end, raise us, gather 
 us at His coming, present us faultless before 
 God's throne, give us rest with Him in His 
 
kingdom. But oh ! reader, Christ ought to be 
 far more precious to us than He ever has been 
 yet. I take you to record, if it were the last 
 word of my life, I believe that nothing but 
 the knowledge of Christ will ever feed a man's 
 spirit. All our darkness arises from not keep- 
 ing close to Him. The forms of religion are 
 valuable as helps, — and public ordinances are 
 profitable to strengthen us ; — but it must be 
 Christ crucified for sinners, — Christ seen with 
 the eye of faith, — Christ present in the heart, 
 —Christ as the bread of life, and Christ as the 
 water of life, — this must be the doctrine we 
 must ever cling to. Nothing else will either 
 save, satisfy, or sanctify a sinful soul. We all 
 need more knowledge of Christ. If we would 
 grow in grace and hope, let us begin here. 
 
 If we want to grow in grace, and have more 
 hope, we must seek more knowledge of our own 
 hearts. We fancy we are acquainted with 
 them, and we are not. The half of the sin 
 that is in them has hitherto been hidden from 
 our eyes. We have not the slightest idea how 
 much they might deceive us if tried, and into 
 
what depths of Satan the very best of us 
 might fall. But we all know by bitter ex- 
 perience, that by trusting our hearts we have 
 often made sad mistakes. We have sometimes 
 committed such errors that we have lost sight 
 of our hope, and been ready to believe we 
 had no grace at all. Oh! if we would be 
 happy Christians, let us cease to put confi- 
 dence in our hearts. Let us learn to expect 
 nothing from them but weakness and feeble- 
 ness. Let us cease to look to frames and feel- 
 ings for our comforts. Hope built on any- 
 thing within us must always be wavering and 
 unstable. 
 
 If we want to grow in grace, and have more 
 hope, we must seek more holiness in life and con- 
 versation. This is a humbling lesson to dwell 
 upon, but one that cannot be dwelt upon too 
 much. There is an inseparable connection be- 
 tween- a close walk with God and comfort in 
 our religion. Let this never be forgotten. 
 Truly the vessels in the Lord's house are 
 many of them very dull and dingy. When I 
 look around I see many things missing 
 
 3 
 
34: "where akt thou?" 
 
 amongst us, which Jesus loves. I miss the 
 meekness and gentleness of our Master : many 
 of us are harsh, rough-tempered, and censo- 
 rious, and we flatter ourselves that we are 
 faithful. — I miss real boldness in confessing 
 Christ before men : we often think much more 
 of the time to be silent than the time to speak. 
 — I miss real humility : not many of us like 
 to take the lowest place, and esteem every one 
 better than ourselves, and our own strength 
 perfect weakness. — I miss real chaiity : few 
 of us have that unselfish spirit which seeketh 
 not its own : there are few who are not more 
 taken up with their own feelings and their 
 ov/n happiness than that of others. — I miss 
 real thankfulness of spirit : we complain, and 
 murmur, and fret, and brood over the things 
 we have not, and forget the things we have. 
 We are seldom content ; there is generally a 
 Mordecai at our gate. — I miss decided separa- 
 tion from the world : the line of distinction is 
 often rubbed out. Many of us, like the 
 chameleon, are always taking the color of our 
 company ; we become so like the ungodly that 
 
it strains a man's eyes to see tlie difference. 
 Reader, these things ought not so to be. If 
 we want more hope, let us be more zealous of 
 good works. 
 
 If we want to grow in grace, and have a 
 more lively hope, we must seek more watcliful- 
 ness in seasons of prosperity. I know no time 
 in a believer's life when his soul is in such real 
 danger as it is when all things go well with 
 him. I know no time when a believer is so 
 likely to contract spiritual diseases and lay the 
 foundation of many days of darkness and 
 doubt in his inward man. You and I like the 
 course of our life to run smoothly, and it is 
 natural to flesh and blood to do so. But you 
 and I have little idea how perilous this smooth 
 course is to our religion. The seeds of sick- 
 ness are generally sown in health. It is the 
 holiday time when lessons are forgotten. It 
 is the sweet things which do harm to the chil- 
 dren and not the bitter. It is the world's favor 
 which injures believers far more than the 
 world's frown. David committed no adultery 
 w^hile fleeing before the face of Saul : — it was 
 
when Saul was dead and he was king in his 
 stead, and there was peace in Israel. Christian 
 in "Pilgrim's Progress" did not lose his evidence 
 while he was fighting with Apolljon : — it was 
 when he was sleeping in a pleasant arbor, and 
 no enemy seemed near. Oh ! if we would 
 have a lively hope, let us watch in the days 
 of prosperity, and be sober. 
 
 If we want to grow in grace, and have a 
 lively hope, we must seek more faith and con- 
 tentment in time of trial Trial often makes a 
 righteous man speak unadvisedly with his lips, 
 and say and do things which rise like mist be- 
 tween his soul and Christ. Trial is a fire 
 which often brings much dross to the surface 
 of a believer's heart, and makes him say, 
 '' God has forgotten me, there is no hope for 
 my soul ; I am cast out of the Lord's sight ; I 
 do well to complain." Yet trial is the hand 
 of a Father chastening us for our profit, how- 
 ever slow we may be to believe it. The rod 
 is often sent in answer to a prayer for sanctifi- 
 cation : — it is one of God's ways of carrying 
 on that work of sanctification which we pro- 
 
"WHEEE ART THOU?*' 37 
 
 fess to desire. Jacob, and Joseph, and Moses, 
 and David, all found this. Blessed are they 
 who take patiently the Lord's medicines — who 
 bear the cross in silence, and say, "It is well." 
 Afflictions well borne are spiritual promotions. 
 Patience having a perfect work in the time of 
 affliction, will sooner or later yield a precious 
 harvest of inward hope. 
 
 If we would grow in grace, and have a more 
 lively hope, we must seek more preparedness 
 for Christ^ s second coming. I know no doctrine 
 more sanctifying and quickening than the doc- 
 trine of Christ's second advent. I know none 
 more calculated to draw us from the world, 
 and make us single-eyed, whole-hearted, and 
 joyful Christian. But alas ! how few believ- 
 ers live like men who wait for their Master's 
 return ! Who that narrowly observes the 
 ways of many believers would ever think that 
 they loved and longed for their Lord's appear- 
 ing? Is it not true that there are many hearts 
 among God's children which are not quite 
 ready to receive Jesus? He would find the 
 window barred, — the door shut, — the fires al- 
 
38 "where art thou?" 
 
 most out; — it would be a cold and comfortless 
 reception. Oh ! believing reader, it ought not 
 so to be. We want more of a pilgrim's spirit : 
 — we ought to be ever looking for and hasten- 
 ing to our home. The day of the Lord's ad- 
 vent is the day of rest, the day of complete 
 redemption, the day when the family of God 
 shall at last be all gathered together. It is the 
 day when we shall no longer walk by faith, 
 but by sight : — we shall see the land that is 
 far off, — we shall behold the King in His 
 beauty. Surely we ought to be saying daily, 
 "Come, Lord Jesus, let thy kingdom come." 
 Oh ! let us set Christ's advent continually be- 
 fore our eyes. Let us say to ourselves every 
 morning, " The Lord will soon return," and it 
 will be good for our souls. 
 
 Lastly, if we want to grow in grace and 
 have more hope, we must seek more diligence 
 about means of grace. It is vain to suppose 
 that our hope is not dependent in any sense 
 on the pains we take in the use of God's ap- 
 pointed ordinances. It is dependent, and that 
 to a very great extent. God has wisely or- 
 
" WHEEE AET THOU ?" 39 
 
 dered it so tliat lazy Christians seldom enjoy 
 any assurance of their own acceptance. He 
 tells us that we must labor, and strive, and 
 work, to make our calling and election sure. 
 Oh ! that believers would remember this, and 
 lay it to heart. I suspect that many of God's 
 people are very lazy in their manner of using 
 means. They know little of David's spirit 
 when he said, "My soul longeth and fainteth 
 for the courts of the house of my God." I 
 doubt whether there is much private prayer 
 before and after sermons. Yet, remember, 
 hearing alone is not everything : when all is 
 said in the pulpit, only half the work is done. 
 I doubt whether the Bible is as much read as 
 it shouM be. Nothing in my own short expe- 
 rience has surprised me so much as the con- 
 tented ignorance of Scripture which prevails 
 among believers. I doubt whether private 
 prayer is as often made a business of as it 
 should be. We are often satisfied to get up 
 from our knees without having really seen or 
 heard anything of God and His Christ. And 
 
40 "WHEKE ART THOU?" 
 
 , all this is wrong. — It is the diligent soul that 
 enjoys lively hope. 
 
 Eeader, let us lay to heart the things that I 
 have mentioned. Let us resolve, by God's 
 help, to set them before us continually, to 
 pray for them, strive after them, and endea- 
 vor to attain them. 
 
 This is the way to be useful Christians. The 
 world knows little of Christ beyond what it 
 sees of Him in His people. Oh ! what plain, 
 clearly- written epistles they ought to be ! A 
 hopeful growing believer is a walking sermon. 
 He preaches far more than I do, for he preaches 
 all the week round, shaming the unconverted, 
 sharpening the converted, showing to all what 
 grace can do. Such an one does good indeed 
 by his life, and after death what great broad 
 evidences he leaves behind him! We carry 
 him to the grave without one unpleasant 
 doubt ! Oh ! the value and the power of a 
 growing Christian ! The Lord make you and 
 me such. 
 
 This is the way to be happy Christians. 
 Happiness is the gift of God, but that there 
 
"where aet thou?" 41 
 
 is the closest connection between full follow- 
 ing of God and full happiness, let no man for 
 an instant doubt. A hopeful, growing be-, 
 liever has the witness within himself. He 
 walks in the full light of the sun, and there- 
 fore he generally feels bright and warm. He 
 does not quench the Spirit by continual incon- 
 sistencies, and so the fire within him seldom 
 burns low. He has great peace because he 
 really loves God's law, and all that see him 
 are obliged to allow that it is a privilege and 
 not a bondage to be a Christian. Oh I the 
 comfort of a tender conscience, a godly jeal- 
 ousy, a close walk with God, a heavenly frame 
 of mind I The Lord make us all of such a spirit. 
 And now, dear readers of every class to 
 whom I have spoken, I heartily pray God to 
 bless these pages to your souls. Whether you 
 are of those for whom / /ear, — whether you 
 are of those about whom / douht^ — whether 
 you are of those whom / look at with hope^ my 
 heart's desire and prayer is, that you may lay 
 down this tract a wiser and better man than 
 when you took it up. 
 
42 "where art thou?" 
 
 "VVe live in strange times. The world seems 
 getting old and shaking. The shadows are 
 long drawn. The evening appears to be com- 
 ing on. The night will soon be upon us, when 
 no man can work. Oh. ! tbat every reader of 
 this tract would turn in upon himself while it 
 is called to-day, and consider his own ways. 
 Oh ! that each would ask himself the question, 
 Where am I? What am I? Where am I 
 going ? What will be the end of my present 
 course ? What is the hope of my soul ? 
 
 Reader, once more I ask you not to despise 
 my question. Think of it : consider it : pray 
 over it. Oh ! that it may take firm hold of 
 your heart, and never leave you ! Oh ! that 
 it may be to your soul as life from the dead ! 
 Time is fast ebbing away. Life is a vast un- 
 certainty. Death is drawing nearer and near- 
 er. Judgment is sure to come. Header,, where 
 art thou? Where art thou in the sight of 
 God? 
 
 I remain. 
 
 Your affectionate Friend, 
 J. C. Ryle. 
 
"As many as are led "by the Spirit of God, they are the 
 
 eons of God. 
 " For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again 
 
 to fear ; hut ye have received the spirit of adoption, 
 
 whereby "we cry Abba, Father. 
 "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that 
 
 we are the children of God: 
 " And if children, then heirs ; heirs of God, and joint 
 
 heirs with Christ ; if so be that we suffer with him, 
 
 that we may be also glorified together." (Rom. viii. 
 
 14—17. 
 
 Eeader, 
 
 As soon as you have read the verses of 
 Scripture before your eyes, I invite you to 
 consider a very solemn question, — Are you an 
 heir of glory ? 
 
 Mark well what I am asking. I am not 
 speaking of matters which only concern the 
 rich, the great, and the noble. I do not ask 
 whether you are an heir to money or lands. 
 I only want to ask, whether you are an heir 
 of glory ? 
 
The inheritance I speak of is the only in- 
 heritance reallg worth having. All others are 
 ■unsatisfying and disappointing. They bring 
 with them many cares. They cannot cure an 
 aching heart. They cannot lighten a heavy 
 conscience. They cannot keep off family 
 troubles. They cannot prevent sicknesses, 
 bereavements, separations, and deaths. But 
 there is no disappointment among the heirs 
 of glory. 
 
 The inheritance I speak of is the only in- 
 heritance which can he hej)t forever. All oth- 
 ers must be left in the hour of death, if they 
 have not been taken away before. The own- 
 ers of millions of pounds can carry nothing 
 with them beyond the grave. But it is not so 
 with the heirs of glory. Their inheritance is 
 eternal. 
 
 The inheritance I speak of is the only in- 
 heritance which is within every hodifs reach. 
 Most men can never obtain riches and great- 
 ness, though they labor hard for them all their 
 lives. But glory, honor, and eternal life, are 
 oJBfered to every man freely, who is willing to 
 
accept them on God's terms. " Whosoever 
 will," may be an heir of glory. 
 
 Keader, if you wish to have a portion of 
 this inheritance, you must be a member of 
 that one family on earth to which it belongs, 
 and that is the family of all true Christians. 
 You must become one of God's children on 
 earth, if you desire to have glory in heaven. 
 I write to persuade you to become a child of 
 God this day, if you are not one already. I 
 write to persuade you to make it sure work 
 that you are one, if at present you have only 
 a vague hope, and nothing more. None but 
 true Christians are the children of God. IN'one 
 but the children of God are heirs of glory. 
 Give me your attention, while I try to unfold 
 to you these things, and to show you the les- 
 sons which the verses you have already read 
 contain. 
 
 I. Let me show you the relation of all true 
 Christians to God. They are ^' sons of God J'' 
 
 II. Let me show you the special evidences of 
 this relation. True Christians are "Zee? hy the 
 Spirit^ They have " the Spirit of adoption^ 
 
They have the " witness of the Spirit:'' They 
 '•''suffer luith Chesty 
 
 III. Let me show you the privileges of this 
 relation. True Christians are '■''heirs of God^ 
 joint heirs with Christ^ 
 
 I. First let me show you the true relation of 
 all true Christians to God. They are God's 
 " Sons." 
 
 I know no higher and more comfortable 
 word that could have been chosen. To be 
 servants of God, — to be subjects, soldiers, dis- 
 ciples, friends, — all these are excellent titles. 
 But to be the sons of God, is a step higher 
 still. What says the Scripture? " The ser- 
 vant abideth not in the house forever, but the 
 Son abideth ever." (John, viii. 85.) 
 
 To be son of the rich and noble in this 
 world, — to be son of the princes and kings of 
 the earth, — this is reckoned a privilege. But 
 to be a son of the King of kings, and Lord 
 of lords, — to be a son of the High and Holy 
 One, who inhabiteth eternity, — this is some- 
 thing higher still. And yet this is the portion 
 of every true Christian. 
 
The son of an earthly parent looks natur- 
 ally to his father for affection, maintenance, 
 provision, and education. There is a home 
 always open to him. There is a love which 
 no bad conduct can completely extinguish. 
 All these are things belonging even to the son- 
 ship of this world. Think then how great is 
 the privilege of that poor sinner of mankind, 
 who can say of God, "He is my Father." 
 
 But HOW can sinful men like you and me 
 become sons of God? When do they enter 
 into this glorious relationship ? We are not 
 the sons of God by nature. We are not born 
 so when we come into the world. No man 
 has a natural right to look to God as his Fa- 
 ther. It is a vile heresy to say that he has. 
 Men are said to be born poets and painters, — 
 but men are never born sons of God. The 
 epistle to the Ephesians tells us, " ye luere hy 
 nature children of lorath even as others." (Ephes. 
 ii. 3.) The Epistle of St. John says, ''the 
 children of God are manifest^ and the children of 
 the devil : whosoever doeth not righteoitsness is not 
 of God." (1 John, iii. 10.) The Catechism of 
 
48 "are you an heir?" 
 
 the Church of England wisely follows the doc- 
 trine of the Bible, and teaches us to say, " By 
 nature born in sin, and children of wrath." 
 Yes ! we are all rather children of the devil, 
 than children of God. Sin is indeed heredi- 
 tary, and runs in the family of Adam. Grace 
 is anything but hereditary, and holy men have 
 not, as a matter of course, holy sins. How 
 then and when does this mighty change and 
 translation come upon men ? When and in 
 what manner do sinners become the sons and 
 daughters of the Lord Almighty ? 
 
 Men become sons of God in the day that 
 the Spirit leads them to believe on Jesus 
 Christ for salvation, and not before.* What 
 says the epistle to the Galatians ? " Ye are all 
 the children of God hy faith in Christ Jesus y 
 (Gal. iii. 36.) What says the epistle to the 
 Corinthians? " Of him are ye in Jesiis Christ^ 
 (1 Cor. i. 30.) What says the Gospel of John ? 
 " As many as received Christy to them gave lie 
 
 * The reader will of course understand that I am not 
 speaking now of children that die in infancy, or of persons 
 who live and die idiots. 
 
 __ 
 
"aee you an HEm?" 49 
 
 power (or privilege) to become the sons of God 
 even to them that believe on his name!''' (John, i. 
 12). Faith unites the sinner to the Son of 
 God, and makes him one of his members. 
 Faith makes him one of those in whom the 
 Father sees no spot, and is well-pleased. Faith 
 marries him to the beloved Son of God, and 
 entitles him to be reckoned among the sons. 
 Faith gives him fellowship with the Father 
 and the Son. Faith grafts him into the Fa- 
 ther's family, and opens np to him a room in 
 the Father's house. Faith gives him life in- 
 stead of death, and makes him instead of be- 
 ing a servant a son. Show me a man that has 
 this faith, and whatever be his church, or de- 
 nomination, I say that he is a son of God. 
 
 Keader, this is one of those points you 
 should never forget. You and I know no- 
 thing of a man's sonship until he believes. No 
 doubt the sons of God are foreknown and 
 chosen from all eternity, and predestined to 
 adoption. But, remember, it is not till they 
 are called in due time, and believe, — it is not 
 
 till then that you and I can be certain they 
 
 > 
 4 
 
are sons. It is not till they repent and believe, 
 that the angels of God rejoice over them. 
 The angels cannot read the book of Grod's 
 election. They know not who are His hidden 
 ones in the earth. They rejoice over no man 
 till he believes. But when they see some 
 poor sinner repenting and believing, then 
 there is joy among them, — joy that one more 
 brand is plucked from the burning, and one 
 more son and heir born again to the Father in 
 heaven. But once more I say, you and I 
 know nothing certain about a man's sonship 
 to God until he believes on Christ 
 
 Keader, I warn you to beware of the delu- 
 sive notion, that all men and women are alike 
 children of God, whether they have faith in 
 Christ or not. It is a wild theory which many 
 are clinging to in these days, but one which 
 cannot be proved out of the word of God. It 
 is a perilous dream, with which many are try- 
 ing to soothe themselves, but one from which 
 there will be a fearful waking up at the last 
 day. 
 
 That God in a certain sense is the universal 
 
"aee yoij an heie?" 51 
 
 Father of all mankind, I do not pretend to 
 deny. He is the Great First Cause of all 
 things. He is the Creator of all mankind, 
 and in Him alone, all men, whether Christians 
 or heathens, live and move and have their be- 
 ing. All this is unquestionably true. In this 
 sense Paul told the Athenians, a poet of their 
 own had truly said, '^ ive are his offspring y 
 (Acts, xvii. 28.) But this sonship gives no man 
 a title to heaven. The sonship which we have 
 by creation, is one which belongs to stones, 
 trees, beasts, or even to the devils, as much as 
 to us. 
 
 That God loves all mankind with a love of 
 pity and compassion, I do not deny. His ten- 
 der mercies are over all His works. He is not 
 willing that any should perish, but that all 
 should come to repentance. He has no pleas- 
 ure in. the death of him that dieth. All this 
 I admit to the full. In this sense our Lord 
 Jesus tells us, " God so loved the world, that he 
 gave his only begotten jSon, that whosoever helieveth 
 in him should not perish, hut have eternal life^ 
 (John, iii. 16.) 
 
— 1 
 
 52 "are you an heie?" 
 
 But that God is a reconciled and pardoning 
 Father to any but the members of His Son 
 Jesus Christ, and that any are members of Je- 
 sus Christ who do not believe on Him for sal- 
 vation, — this is a doctrine which I utterly 
 deny. The holiness and justice of God are 
 both against the doctrine. They make it im- 
 possible for sinful men to approach God, ex- 
 cepting through a mediator. They tell us that 
 God out of Christ is a consuming fire. The 
 whole system of the New Testament is against 
 the doctrine. That system teaches that no 
 man can claim interest in Christ, unless he will 
 receive Him as his Mediator, and believe on 
 Him as his Saviour. Where there is no faith 
 in Christ, it is drivelling folly to say that a 
 man may take comfort in God as his Father. 
 God is a reconciled Father to none but the 
 members of Christ. 
 
 It is nonsense to talk of the view I am now 
 ■upholding as narrow-minded and harsh. The 
 Gospel sets an open door before every man. 
 Its promises are wide and full. Its invitations 
 are earnest and tender. Its requirements are 
 
"are you an heir I" 63 
 
 simple and clear. '' Only believe on the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, and, whosoever thon art, thou j 
 shalt be saved." But to say that proud men, | 
 who will not bow their necks to the easy yoke j 
 of Christ, and worldly men who are deter- j 
 mined to have their own way and their sins, — to j 
 say that such men have a right to claim an in- j 
 terest in Christ, and a right to call themselves | 
 sons of God, is absurdity indeed. God offers | 
 to be their Father ; but He does it on certain 
 distinct terms : — they must draw near to Him j 
 through Christ. Christ offers to be their 
 Saviour ; but in doing it He make one simple j 
 requirement : — they must commit their souls | 
 to Him, and give Him their hearts. They re- j 
 fuse the terms, and yet dare to call God their j 
 Father I They scorn the requirement, and yet I 
 dare to hope that Christ will save them ! God 
 is to be their Father, — but on their own terms ! | 
 Christ is to be their Saviour, — but on their 
 own conditions ! What can be more unreason- 
 able ? What can be more proud ? What can 
 be more unholy, than such a doctrine as this? 
 Beware of it, reader, for it is a common doc- 
 
54 "are you an heie?" 
 
 I 
 
 I — — — 
 
 I trine in these latter days. Beware of it, for it 
 j is often speciously put forward, and sounds 
 j beautiful and charitable in the mouth of poets, 
 j novelists, sentimentalists, and tender-hearted 
 I women. Beware of it, unless you mean to 
 j throw aside your Bible altogether, and set up 
 i yourself to be wiser than God. Stand fast on 
 the old Scriptural ground. — No sonship to Ood 
 j without Christ / No interest in Christ withoutfaith ! 
 I I would to God there was not so much cause 
 I for giving warnings of this kind. I have rea- 
 son to think they need to be given clearly and 
 unmistakeably. There is a school of theology 
 rising up in this day, which appears to me 
 most eminently calculated to promote infidel- 
 ity, to help the devil, and to ruin souls. It 
 comes to us like Joab to Amasa, with the 
 highest professions of charity, liberality, and 
 love. God is all mercy and love, according to 
 this theology: — His holiness and justice are 
 completely left out of sight ! Hell is never 
 spoken of in this theology : — its talk is all 
 of heaven ! Damnation is never mentioned : 
 ' — ^it is treated as an impossible thing: — all 
 
men and women are to be saved ! Faith, 
 and the work of the Spirit, are refined away 
 into nothing at all ! Everybody who believes 
 anything has faith I Everybody who thinks 
 anything has the Spirit ! Everybody is right ! 
 Kobody is wrong I Kobody is to blame for 
 any action he may commit I It is the result 
 of his position! It is the effect of circum- 
 stances I He is not accountable for his opinions, 
 any more than for the color of his skin ! He 
 must be what he is ! The Bible of course is a 
 very imperfect book ! It is old-fashioned ! It 
 is obsolete ! We may believe just as much of 
 it as we please, and no more ! Keader, of all 
 this theology, I warn you solemnly to beware. 
 In spite of big swelling words about " liberal- 
 ity," and ^'charity," and "broad views," and 
 "new lights," and "freedom from bigotry," 
 and so forth, I do believe it to be a theology 
 that leads to hell. 
 
 Facts are directly against the teachers of this 
 theology. Let them climb to the tops of 
 mountains, and mark the traces of Noah's flood. 
 Let them go to the shores of the Dead Sea, 
 
and look down into its mysterious bitter waters. 
 Let them observe the wandering Jews, scatter- 
 ed over the face of the world. And then let 
 them tell us, if they dare, that God is so en- 
 tirely a God of mercy and love, that he never 
 does and never will punish sin. 
 
 The conscience of man is directly against these 
 teachers. Let them go the bedside of some 
 dying child of the world, and try to comfort 
 him with their doctrines. Let them see if 
 their vaunted theories will calm his gnawing, 
 restless anxiety about the future, and enable 
 him to depart in peace. Let them show us, if 
 they can, a few well-authenticated cases of joy 
 and happiness in death without Bible prom- 
 ises, — without conversion, — and without that 
 faith in the blood of Christ, which old-fashion- 
 ed theology enjoins. Alas I when men are 
 leaving the world, conscience makes sad work 
 of these new systems. Conscience is not easily 
 satisfied in a dying hour that there is no such 
 thing as hell. 
 
 Every reasonable conception that lue can form 
 of a future state is directly against these teach- 
 
ers. Fancy a heaven which should contain all 
 mankind! Fancy a heaven in which holy 
 and unholy, pure and impure, good and bad, 
 would be all gathered together in one confused 
 mass ! What point of union would there be 
 in such a company ? What common bond of 
 harmony and brotherhood? What common 
 delight in a common service ? What concord, 
 what harmony, what peace, what oneness of 
 spirit could exist ? Surely the mind revolts 
 from the idea of a heaven in which there would 
 be no distinction between the righteous and 
 the wicked, — between Pharaoh and Moses, be- 
 tween Abraham and the Sodomites, between 
 Paul and ISTero, between Peter and Judas Is- 
 cariot, between the man who dies in the act 
 of murder or drunkenness and men like Bax- 
 ter, Wilberforce, and M'Cheyne! Surely an 
 eternity in such a miserably confused crowd 
 would be worse than annihilation itself! Sure- 
 ly such a heaven would be no better than 
 hell! 
 
 The interests of all holiness and morality are 
 directly against these teachers. If all men and 
 
women alike are God's children, whatever is 
 the difference between them in their lives, — 
 and all alike going to heaven, however differ- 
 ent they may be from one another here in the 
 world, — where is the use of laboring after 
 holiness at all? What motive remains for 
 living soberly, righteously, and godly ? What 
 does it matter how men conduct themselves, 
 if all go to heaven, and nobody goes to hell ? 
 Surely the very heathen of Greece and Eome 
 could tell us something better and wiser than 
 this ! Surely a doctrine which is subversive 
 of holiness and morality, and takes away all 
 motives to exertion, carries on the face of it 
 the stamp of its origin. It is of earth, and 
 not of heaven. It is of the devil, and not of 
 God. 
 
 The Bible is against these teachers all through. 
 Hundreds and thousands of texts might be 
 quoted which are diametrically opposed to 
 their theories. These texts must be rejected 
 summarily, if the Bible is to square with their 
 views. There may be no reason why they 
 sliould be rejected, — ^but to suit the theology 
 
"aee you an heir?*' 69 
 
 I speak, of they must be thrown away. At 
 this rate, the authority of the whole Bible is 
 soon at an end. And what do they give us in 
 its place ? Kothing, — nothing at all ! They 
 rob us of the bread of life, and do not give 
 us in its stead so much as a stone. 
 
 Eeader, once more I warn you to beware of 
 this theology. I charge you to hold fast the 
 doctrine which I have been endeavoring to 
 uphold in this tract. Eemember what I have 
 said, and never let it go. No inheritance of 
 glory without sonship to God ! ISTo sonship to 
 God without an interest in Christ ! No inter- 
 est in Christ without your own personal faith ! 
 This is God's truth. Never forsake it. 
 
 Who now among the readers of this tract, 
 desires to know ivheiher he is a son of God ? Ask 
 yourself this day, and ask it as in God's sight, 
 whether you have repented and believed. Ask 
 yourself whether you are experimentally ac- 
 quainted with Christ, and united to Him in 
 heart. If not, you may be very sure you are 
 no son of God. You are not yet born again. 
 You are yet in your sins. Your Father in 
 
creation God may be, but your reconciled and 
 pardoning Father God is not. Yes ! though 
 church and world may agree to tell you to the 
 contrary, — though clergy and laity unite in 
 flattering you, — your sonship is worth little or 
 nothing in the sight of God. Let God be true 
 and every man a liar. Without faith in Christ 
 you are no son of God, — you are not born 
 again. 
 
 Who is there among the readers of this tract 
 who desires to became a son of Ood f Let that 
 person see his sin, and flee to Christ for salva- 
 tion, and this day he shall be placed among 
 the children. Only acknowledge thine in- 
 iquity, and lay hold on the hand that Jesus 
 holds out to thee this day, and sonship, with 
 all its privileges, is thine own. Only confess 
 thy sins, and bring them unto Christ, and God 
 is faithful and just to forgive thee thy sins, 
 and cleanse thee from all unrighteousness. 
 This very day, old things shall pass away and 
 all things become new. This very day, thou 
 shalt be forgiven, pardoned, accepted in the 
 beloved. This yqyj day, thou shalt have a 
 
"are yotj an heie?" 61 
 
 new name given to thee in heaven. Thou 
 didst take np this tract a child of wrath. 
 Thou shalt lie down to-night a child of God. 
 Mark this, if thy professed desire after sonship 
 is sincere, — if thou art truly weary of thy sins, 
 and hast really something more than a lazy 
 wish to be free, — there is real comfort for thee. 
 It is all true. It is all written in Scripture, 
 even as I have put it down. I dare not raise 
 barriers between thee and God. This day, I 
 say, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
 thou shalt be a son, and be saved. 
 
 Who is there among the readers of this tract 
 that is a son of God indeed? Eejoice, I say, 
 and be exceeding glad of your privileges. 
 Eejoice, for you have good cause to be thank- 
 ful. Eemember the words of the beloved 
 apostle : ^^ Behold what manner of love the Father 
 hath bestowed upon us^ that we should he called 
 the sons of God^ (1 John, iii. 1.) How wonder- 
 ful that heaven should look down on earth, — 
 that the holy God should set His affections on 
 sinful man, and admit him into His family ! 
 What though the world does not understand 
 
G2 "are you an heir?" 
 
 you! What though the men of this world 
 laugh at you, and cast out your name as evil ! 
 Let them laugh, if they will. God is your 
 Father. You have no need to be ashamed. 
 The Queen can create a nobleman. The 
 bishops can ordain clergymen. But Queen, 
 Lords, and Commons, — bishops, priests, and 
 deacons, — all together, cannot, of their own 
 power, make one son of God, or one of great- 
 er dignity than a son of God. The man that 
 can call God his Father, and Christ his elder 
 Brother, — that man may be poor and lowly, 
 yet he never need be ashamed. 
 
 IL Let me show you, in the second place, 
 the special evidences of the true Christianas rela- 
 tion to God. 
 
 How shall a man make sure work of his 
 own sonship ? How shall he find out whether 
 he is one that has come to Christ by faith and 
 been born again ? What are the marks, and 
 signs, and tokens, by which the sons of God 
 may be known ? This is a question which all 
 who love eternal life ought to ask. This is a 
 question to which the verses of Scripture I am 
 
 _j 
 
asking you to consider, like many others, sup- 
 ply an answer. 
 
 1. Tlae sons of God, for one tiling, are all 
 led hy His Spirit. What says the Scripture ? 
 " As many as are led by the Spirit of God, 
 they are the sons of God." (Rom. viii. 14.) 
 
 They are all under the leading and teaching 
 of a power which is almighty, though unseen, 
 — even the power of the Holy Ghost. They 
 no longer turn every man his own way, and 
 walk every man in the light of his own eyes, 
 and follow every man his own natural heart's 
 desire. The Spirit leads them. The Spirit 
 guides them. There is a movement in their 
 hearts, lives, and affections, which they feel, 
 though they may not be able to explain, and 
 a movement which is always more or less in 
 the same direction. 
 
 They are led away from sin, — away from 
 self- righteousness, — away from the world. 
 This is the road by which the Spirit leads 
 God's children. Those whom God adopts He 
 teaches and trains. He shows to them their 
 own hearts. He makes them weary of their 
 
64: "are you an heir?" 
 
 own ways. He makes them long for inward 
 peace. 
 
 They are led to Christ. They are led to the 
 Bible. They are led to prayer. They are led 
 to holiness. This is the beaten path along 
 which the Spirit makes them to travel. Those 
 whom God adopts He always sanctifies. He 
 makes sin very bitter to them. He makes 
 holiness very sweet. 
 
 It is the Spirit who leads them to Sinai, and 
 first shows them the law, that their hearts may 
 be broken. It is He who leads them to Cal- 
 vary, and shows them the cross, that their 
 hearts may be bound up and healed. It is He 
 who leads them to Pisgah, and gives them dis- 
 tant views of the promised land, that their 
 hearts may be cheered. When they are taken 
 into the wilderness, and taught to see their 
 own emptiness, it is the leading of the Spirit. 
 When they are carried up to Tabor, and lifted 
 up with glimpses of the glory to come, it is 
 the leading of the Spirit. Each and all of 
 God's sons is the subject of these leadings. 
 Each and all vields himself willingly to them. 
 
And each and all is lead by the right way, to 
 bring him to a city of habitation. 
 
 Eeader, settle this down in your heart, and 
 do not let it go. The sons of God are a peo- 
 ple led by the Spirit of God, and always led 
 more or less in the same way. Their expe- 
 rience will tally wonderfully when they com- 
 pare notes in heaven. This is one mark of 
 sonship. 
 
 2. Furthermore, all the sons of God have 
 the feelings of adopted children towards their Father 
 in heaven. What says the Scripture? "Ye 
 have not received the Spirit of bondage again 
 to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of 
 adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father." 
 (Eom. viii. 15.) 
 
 The sons of God are delivered from that 
 slavish fear of God, which sin begets in the 
 natural heart. They are redeemed from that 
 feeling of guilt, which made Adam hide him- 
 self in the trees of the garden, and Cain go 
 out from the presence of the Lord. They are 
 no longer afraid of God's holiness, and justice, 
 and majesty. They no longer feel as if there 
 
 5 
 
66 "are you an heir?" 
 
 was a great gulf and barrier between them- 
 selves and God, — and as if God was angry 
 with them, and must be angry with them, be- 
 cause of their sins. From these chains and 
 fetters of soul the sons of God are delivered. 
 
 Their feelings towards God are now those of 
 peace and confidence. They see Him as a 
 Father reconciled in Christ Jesus. They look 
 on Him as a God whose attributes are all 
 satisfied by their great Mediator and peace- 
 maker, the Lord Jesus, — as a God who is just, 
 and yet the justifier of every one that be- 
 lieveth on Jesus. As a Father, they draw 
 near to Him with boldness. As a Father, 
 they can speak to Him with freedom. They 
 have exchanged the spirit of bondage for that 
 of liberty, and the spirit of fear for that of 
 love. They know that God is holy, but they 
 are not afraid. They know that they are sin- 
 ners, but they are not afraid. Though holy, 
 they believe that God is completely recon- 
 ciled. Though sinners, they believe they are 
 clothed all over with Jesus Christ. Such is 
 the feeling of the sons of God. 
 
— . ^ 
 
 i 
 
 •'are you an iieik?" 67 i 
 
 I allow that some of them have this feel- 
 ing more vividly than others. Some of them 
 carry about scraps and remnants of the old 
 spirit of bondage to their dying day. Many 
 of them have fits and paroxysms of the old 
 man's complaint of fear returning upon them 
 at intervals. But very few of the sons of God 
 could be found who would not say, if cross- 
 examined, that since they knew Christ they 
 have had very different feelings towards God, 
 from what they ever had before. They feel 
 as if something like the old Eoman form of 
 adoption had taken place between themselves 
 and their Father in heaven. They feel as if 
 He had said to each one of them, "Wilt thou 
 be my son ?" and as if their hearts had re- 
 plied, "I will." 
 
 Eeader, try to grasp this also, and hold it 
 fast. The sons of God are a people who feel 
 towards God in a way that the children of the 
 world do not. They feel no more slavish fear 
 towards Him. They feel towards Him as a 
 reconciled parent. This then is another mark 
 of sonship. 
 
I 
 
 68 "aee tou an heir?" 
 
 8. But again, the sons of God have the luit- 
 7iess of the Spirit in their consciences. What 
 says the Scripture? "The Spirit itself bear- 
 eth witness with our spirit, that we are the 
 children of God." (Rom. viii. 16.) 
 
 They have all got something within their 
 hearts, which tells them there is a relationship 
 between themselves and God. They feel 
 something which tells them that old things 
 are passed away, and all things become new, 
 — that guilt is gone, — that peace is restored, 
 that heaven's door is open, and hell's door is 
 shut. They have, in short, what the children 
 of the world have not, — a felt, positive, rea- 
 sonable hope. They have what Paul calls the 
 "seal" and "earnest" of the Spirit. (2 Cor. 
 i. 22. Ephes. i. 13.) 
 
 Reader, I do not for a moment deny that 
 this witness of the Spirit is exceedingly various 
 in the extent to which the sons of God possess 
 it. With some it is a loud, clear, ringing, 
 distinct testimony of conscience : — " I am 
 Christ's, and Christ is mine." With others it 
 is a little, feeble, stammering whisper, which 
 
the devil and the flesh often prevent being 
 heard. Some of the children of God speed on 
 their course towards heaven under the full 
 sails of assurance. Others are tossed to and 
 fro all their voyage, and will scarce believe 
 they have got faith. But take the least and 
 lowest of the sons of God. Ask him if he 
 will give up the little bit of religious hope 
 which he has attained ? Ask him if he will 
 exchange his heart, with all its doubts and 
 conflicts, its fightings and fears, — ask him if 
 he will exchange that heart for the heart of 
 the downright worldly and careless man? 
 Ask him if he would be content to turn 
 round and throw down the things he has got 
 hold of, and go back to the world? Who 
 can doubt what the answer would be ? "I 
 cannot do that," he would reply, ''I do not 
 know whether I have faith: I do not feel 
 sure I have got grace : but I have got some- 
 thing within me I would not like to part 
 with." And what is that " something .^" I 
 will tell you. It is the witness of the Spirit. 
 Eeader, try to understand this also. The 
 
sons of God have the witness of the Spirit in 
 their consciences. This is another mark of 
 sonship. 
 
 4. One thing more let me add. All the 
 sons of Grod take 'part in suffering with Christ. 
 What says the Scripture ? "If children, then 
 heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, 
 if so be that we suffer with Him." (Rom. 
 viii. 17.) 
 
 All the children of God have a cross to 
 carry. They have trials, troubles, and afflic- 
 tions to go through for the Gospel's sake. 
 They have trials from the world, — trials from 
 the flesh, — and trials from the devil. They 
 have trials of feeling from relations and 
 friends, — hard words, hard conduct, and hard 
 judgment. They-have trials in the matter of 
 character ; — slander, misrepresentation, mock- 
 ery, insinuation of false motives, — all these 
 often jain thick upon them. The have trials 
 in the matter of worldly interest. They have 
 often to choose whether they will please man, 
 and lose glory, or gain glory, and offend man. 
 They have trials from their own hearts. They 
 
r~' 
 
 "akk you an heik?" 71 
 
 have each generally their own thorn in the 
 flesh, — their own home-devil, who is their 
 worst foe. This is the experience of the sons 
 of God. 
 
 Some of them suffer more, and some less. 
 Some of them suffer in one way, and some in 
 another. God measures out their portions 
 like a wise physician, and cannot err. But 
 never, I believe, was there one child of God 
 who reached paradise without a cross. 
 
 Suffering is the diet of the Lord's family. 
 " Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth." 
 "If ye be without chastisement, then are ye 
 bastards, and not sons." " Through much 
 tribulation we must enter the kingdom of God." 
 When Bishop Latimer was told by his land- 
 lord that he had never had a trouble, " Then," 
 said he, " God cannot be here." 
 
 Suffering is a part of the process by which 
 the sons of God are sanctified. They are 
 chastened to wean them from the world, and 
 make them partakers of God's holiness. The 
 Captain of their salvation was made perfect 
 through sufferings, and so are they. There 
 
never yet was a great saint who had not either 
 great afflictions or great corruptions. Well 
 said Philip Melancthon, " Where there are no 
 cares there will generally be no prayers." 
 
 Eeader, try to settle this down into your 
 heart also. The sons of God have all to hear 
 a cross. A suffering Saviour generally has 
 suffering disciples. The Bridegroom was a 
 man of sorrows. The bride must not be a 
 woman of pleasures, and unacquainted with 
 grief. Blessed are they that morn. Let us 
 not murmur at the cross. This also is a sign 
 of sonship. 
 
 Eeader, I warn you never to suppose that 
 you are a son of God except you have the 
 scriptural marks of sonship. Beware of a 
 sonship without evidences. Again I say be- 
 ware. When a man has no leading of the 
 Spirit to show me, — no spirit of adoption to 
 tell of, — no witness of the Spirit in his consci- 
 ence, — no cross in his experience, — is this man 
 a son of God ? God forbid that I should say 
 so ! His spot is not the spot of God's children. 
 He is no heir of Glory. 
 
Tell me not that you have been baptized 
 and taught the catechism of the Church of 
 England, and therefore must be a child of 
 God. I tell you that the parish register is 
 not the book of life. I tell you that to be 
 styled a child of God, and called regenerate 
 in infancy by the faith and charity of the 
 Prayer-book, is one thing ; — but to be a child 
 of God in deed another thing altogether. Go 
 and read that catechism again. It is the 
 "death unto sin and the new birth unto right- 
 eousness" which makes men children of grace. 
 Except you know these by experience, you 
 are no son of God. 
 
 Tell me not that you are a member of 
 Christ's Church, and so must be a son. I an- 
 swer that the sons of the church are not neces- 
 sarily the sons of God. Such sonship is not 
 the sonship of the eighth of Romans. That is 
 the sonship you must have, if you are to be 
 saved. 
 
 And now, I doubt not some reader of this 
 tract will want to know if he may not be saved 
 without the witness of the Spirit. 
 
I answer, if you mean by the witness of the 
 Spirit, the full assurance of, hope, you may be so 
 saved without question. But if you want to 
 know whether a man can be saved without 
 any inward sense, or knowledge, or hope of 
 salvation, I answer that ordinarily he cannot. 
 I warn you plainly to cast away all indecision 
 as to your state before God, and to make your 
 calling sure. Clear up your position and re- 
 lationship. Do not think there is anything 
 praiseworthy in always doubting. Leave that 
 to the Papist. Do not fancy it wise to be ever 
 living like the borderers of old time, on the 
 "debatable ground." "Assurance," said old 
 Dod, the puritan, " may be attained, and what 
 have we been doing all our lives since we be- 
 came Christians if we have not attained it ?" 
 
 I doubt not some true Christians who read 
 this tract will think their evidence of sonship 
 is too small to be good, and will write bitter 
 things against themselves. Let me try to cheer 
 them. Who gave you the feelings you pos- 
 sess ? Who made you hate sin ? Who made 
 you love Christ ? Who made you long and 
 
"aee you an heir?" 75 
 
 labor to be holy ? Whence did these feelings 
 come ? Did they come from nature ? There 
 are no such products in a natural man's heart. 
 Did they come from the devil ? He would 
 fain stifle such feelings altogether. Cheer up, 
 and take courage. Fear not, neither be cast 
 down. Press forward, and go on. There is 
 hope for you after all. Strive. Labor. Seek. 
 Ask. Knock. Follow on. You shall yet see 
 that you are sons of God. 
 
 III. Let me show you, in the last place, the 
 ^privileges of the true Christianas relation to God. 
 
 Nothing can be conceived more glorious than 
 the prospects of the sons of God. The words 
 of Scripture which head this tract contain a 
 rich mine of good and comfortable things. 
 " If we are children," says Paul, " we are heirs, 
 heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ,— to 
 be glorified together with Him." (Kom. viii. 
 17.) 
 
 True Christians then are ''heirs." — Some- 
 thing is prepared for them all which is yet to 
 be revealed. 
 
 They are "heirs pf God."--To be heirs of 
 
tlie rich on earth is soniething. How much 
 more then is it to be son and heir of the King 
 of kings ! 
 
 They are "joint heirs with Christ." They 
 shall share in His majesty, and take part in 
 His glory. They shall be glorified together 
 with Him. 
 
 And this, remember, is for all the children. 
 Abraham took care to provide for all his chil- 
 dren, and God takes care to provide for His. 
 None of them are disinherited. None will be 
 cast out. None will be cut off. Each shall 
 stand in his lot, and have a portion, in the 
 day when the Lord brings many sons to glory. 
 
 Reader, who can tell the fall nature of the 
 inheritance of the saints in light? Who can 
 describe the glory which is yet to be revealed 
 and given to the children of God ? Words 
 fail us. Language falls short. Mind cannot 
 conceive fully, and tongue cannot express per- 
 fectly, the things which are comprised in the 
 glory yet to come upon the sons and daugh- 
 ters of the Lord Almighty. Oh! it is indeed 
 a true saying of the apostle John, " It doth 
 
not yet appear wliat we shall be." (1 John, 
 iii. 2.) 
 
 The very Bible itself only lifts the veil a 
 little which hangs over this subject. How 
 could it do more ? We could not thoroughly 
 understand more if more had been told us. 
 Our constitution is as yet too earthly, — our un- 
 derstanding is as yet too carnal to appreciate 
 more, if we had it. The Bible generally deals 
 with the subject in negative terms, and not in 
 positive assertions. It describes what there 
 will not be in the glorious inheritance, that 
 thus we may get some faint idea of what there 
 will be. It paints the absence of certain things, 
 in order that we may drink in a little the 
 blessedness of the things 'present It tells us 
 that the inheritance is incorruptible, undefiled, 
 and fadeth not away. It tells us that the 
 crown of glory fadeth not away. It tells us 
 that the devil is to be bound, that there shall 
 be no more night and no more curse, that 
 death shall be cast into the lake of fire, that 
 all tears shall be wiped away, and that the in- 
 habitant shall no more say, *' I am sick." And 
 
these are glorious things indeed ! No corrup- 
 tion ! — No fading! — No withering! — No devil 1 
 — No curse of sin ! — No sorrow ! — No tears ! — 
 No sickness ! — No death ! Surely the cup of 
 the children of God will indeed run over 1 
 
 But, reader, there are positive things told us 
 about the glory yet to come upon the heirs of 
 God, which ought not to be kept back. There 
 are many sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable 
 comforts in their future inheritance, Avhich all 
 true Christians would do well to consider. 
 There are cordials for fainting pilgrims in 
 many words and expressions of Scripture, 
 which you and I ought to lay up against time 
 of need. 
 
 Is knowledge pleasant to us now ? Is the lit- 
 tle that we know of God and Christ, and the 
 Bible precious to our souls, and do we long 
 for more ? We shall have it perfectly in glory. 
 What says the Scripture ? " Then shall I know 
 even as also I am known." (1 Cor. xiii. 12.) 
 Blessed be God, there will be no more dis- 
 agreements among believers! Episcopalians 
 and Presbyterians, — Calvinists and Armenians, 
 
— Millennarians and Anti-Millennarians, — 
 friends of Establishments and friends of the 
 voluntary system, — advocates of infant bap- 
 tism and advocates of adult baptism, — all will 
 at length see eye to eye. The former igno- 
 rance will have passed away. We shall mar- 
 vel to find how childish and blind we have 
 been. 
 
 Is holiness pleasant to us now ? Is sin the 
 burden and bitterness of our lives ? Do we 
 long for entire conformity to the image of 
 God ? We shall have it perfectly in glory. 
 What says the Scripture? " Christ gave him- 
 self for the church that He might present it to 
 Himself a glorious church, not having spot or 
 wrinkle, or any such thing." (Ephes. v. 27.) 
 Oh ! the blessedness of an eternal good bye to 
 sin ! Oh I how little the best of us do at pre- 
 sent 1 Oh ! what unutterable corruption sticks, 
 like bird-lime, to all our motives, all our 
 thoughts, all our words, all our actions ! Oh! 
 how many of us, like Naphtali, are goodly in 
 our words, but like Eeuben, unstable in our 
 works ! Thank God, all this shall be changed ! 
 
Is rest pleasant to us now ? Do we often 
 feel faint though pursuing ? Do we long for 
 a world in which we need not be always 
 watching and warring? We shall have it 
 perfectly in glory. What saith the Scripture ? 
 *' There remaineth a rest for the people of 
 God." (Heb. iv. 9.) The daily, hourly con- 
 flict with the world, the flesh and the devil, 
 shall at length be at an end. The enemy shall 
 be bound. The warfare shall be over. The 
 wicked shall at last cease from troubling. The 
 weary shall at length be at rest. There shall 
 be a great calm. 
 
 Is service pleasant to us now ? Do we find 
 it sweet to work for Christ, and yet groan, be* 
 ing burdened by a feeble body ? Is our spirit 
 often willing, but hampered and clogged by 
 the poor weak flesh ? Have our hearts burn- 
 ed within us, when we have been allowed to 
 give a cup of cold water for Christ's sake, and 
 have we sighed to think what unprofitable 
 servants we are ? Let us take comfort. We 
 shall be able to serve perfectly in glory, and 
 without weariness. What saith the Scripture ? 
 
" They serve him day and night in his tem- 
 ple." (Rev. vii. 15.) 
 
 Is satisfaction pleasant to ns now? Do we 
 find the world empty ? Do we long for the 
 filling up of every void place and gap in our 
 hearts ? We shall have it perfectly in glory.* 
 We shall no longer have to mourn over cracks 
 in all our earthen vessels, and thorns in all our 
 roses, and bitter dregs in all our sweet cups. 
 We shall no longer lament with Jonah over 
 withered gourds. We shall no longer say 
 with Solomon, " all is vanity and vexation of 
 spirit." We shall no longer cry with aged 
 David, "I have seen an end of all perfection." 
 What saith the Scripture ? "I shall be satis- 
 fied when I awake with thy likeness." (Psalm, 
 xvii. 15.) 
 
 Is communion ivith the saints pleasant to us 
 now ? Do we feel that we are never so happy 
 as when we are with the excellent of the 
 earth ? Are we never so much at home as in 
 their company ? We shall have it perfectly 
 in glory. What saith the Scripture ? " The 
 Son of man shall send his angels, and they 
 
 6 
 
i 
 
 82 "are you an heir?" 
 
 shall gather out of his kingdom all things that 
 offend, and them which work iniquity." " He 
 shall send his angels with a great sound of a 
 trumpet, and they shall gather together his 
 elect from the four winds." (Matt. xiii. 41., 
 xxiv. 81.) Praised be God ! we shall see all 
 the saints of whom we have read in the Bible, 
 and in whose steps we have tried to walk. We 
 shall see apostles, prophets, patriarchs, mar- 
 tyrs, reformers, missionaries, and ministers, of 
 whom the world was not worthy. We shall 
 see the faces of those we have known and 
 loved in Christ on earth, and over whose de- 
 parture we shed bitter tears. We shall see 
 them more bright and glorious than they ever 
 were before. And best of all, we shall see 
 them without hurry and anxiety, and without 
 feeling that we only meet to part again. In 
 glory there is no death, no parting, no fare- 
 well! 
 
 Is Communion with Christ pleasant to us 
 now ? Do we find His name precious to us ? 
 Do we feel our hearts burn within us at the 
 thought of His dying love ? We shall have 
 
perfect communion with Him in glory. " We 
 shall ever be with the Lord." (1 Thes. iv. 17.) 
 We shall be with him in Paradise. We shall 
 see His face in the kingdom. These eyes of 
 ours will behold those hands and feet which 
 were pierced with nails, and that head which 
 was crowned with thorns. Where He is, there 
 will the sons of God be. When He comes, 
 they will come with Him. When He sits down 
 in His glory, they shall sit down by His side. 
 Blessed prospect indeed ! I am a dying man 
 in a dying world ! All before me is dark ! 
 The world to come is a harbor unknown ! 
 But Christ is there, and that is enough. 
 Surely if there is rest and peace in following 
 Him by faith on earth, there will be far more 
 rest and peace when we see Him face to face. 
 If we have found it good to follow the pillar 
 of cloud and fire in the wilderness, we shall 
 find it a thousand times better to sit down in 
 our eternal inheritance with our Joshua in the 
 promised land. 
 
 Ah ! reader, if you are not yet among the 
 sons and heirs, I do pity you with all my 
 
heart. How much you are missing ! How- 
 little true comfort you are enjoying ! There 
 you are, struggling on, and toiling in the fire, 
 and wearying yourself for mere earthly ends, 
 — seeking rest, and finding none, — chasing 
 shadows and never catching them, — wonder- 
 ing why you are not happy, and yet refusing 
 to see the cause, — hungry, and thirsty, and 
 empty, and yet blind to the plenty within 
 your reach. Oh ! that you were wise ! Oh ! 
 that you would hear the voice of Jesus, and 
 learn of Him ! 
 
 Eeader, if you are one of those who are 
 sons and heirs, you may well rejoice and be 
 happy. You may well wait like the boy Pa- 
 tience in Pilgrim's Progress. Your best things 
 are yet to come. — You may well bear crosses 
 without murmuring. Your light affliction is 
 but for a moment. The sufferings of this pre- 
 sent time are not worthy to be compared to 
 the glory which is to be revealed. When 
 Christ our life appears, then you also shall ap- 
 pear with Him in glory. — You may well not 
 enyj the transgressor and his prosperity. You 
 
 t 
 
are the truly rich. Well said a dying believer 
 in my own parish, "I am more rich than I 
 ever was in my life." You may say as Mephi- 
 bosheth said to David, "Let the world take 
 all, my king is coming again in peace." You 
 may say as Alexander said, when he gave all 
 his riches away, and was asked what he kept 
 for himself, " I have hope." — You may well 
 not be cast down by sickness. The eternal 
 part of you is safe and provided for, whatever 
 happens to your body. — You may well look 
 calmly on death. It opens a door between 
 you and your inheritance. — You may well not 
 sorrow excessively over the things of the 
 world, — over partings and bereavements, — 
 over losses and crosses. The day of gather- 
 ing is before you. Your treasure is beyond 
 reach of harm. Heaven is becoming every 
 year more full of those you love, and earth 
 more empty. Glory in your inheritance. It 
 is all yours if you are a son of God. '' If we 
 are children, then we are heirs." 
 
 And now, reader, in concluding this tract, 
 let me ask you,, Whose child are you f Are you 
 
the child of nature or the child of grace ? Are 
 you the child of the devil or the child of God ? 
 You cannot be both at once. Which are you ? 
 
 Settle the question, reader, for you must die 
 at last either one or the other. Settle it, read- 
 er, for it can be settled, and it is folly to leave 
 it doubtful. Settle it, for time is short, the 
 world is getting old, and you are fast drawing 
 near to the judgment-seat of Christ. Settle it, 
 for death is nigh, the Lord is at hand, and who 
 can tell what a day might bring forth ? Oh ! 
 that you would never rest till the question is 
 settled ! Oh ! that you may never feel satis- 
 fied till you can say, " I have been born again, 
 — I am a son of God." 
 
 Eeader, if you are not a son and heir of God, 
 Jet me entreat you to become one without delay. 
 Would you be rich ? There are unsearchable 
 riches in Christ. Would you be noble ? You 
 shall be a king. Would you be happy ? You 
 shall have a peace which passeth understand- 
 ing, and which the world can never give, and 
 never take away. Oh! come out, and take 
 up the cross, and follow Christ ! Come out 
 
I 
 
 j "aee you an heie?" 87 
 
 ! from among tlie thouglitless and worldly, and 
 j hear the word of the Lord, "I will receive 
 you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye 
 shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord 
 j Almighty." (2 Cor. vi. 18.) 
 I Eeader, if you are a son of God, I beseech you 
 
 I to walk worthy of your Father's house. I charge 
 I you solemnly to honor Him in your life ; and 
 I above all to honor Him by implicit obedience 
 I to all His commands, and hearty love to all 
 His children. Labor to travel through the 
 j world like a child of God and heir of glory. 
 I Let men be able to trace a family likeness be- 
 tween you and Him that begat you. Live a 
 I heavenly life. Seek things that are above. 
 I Do not seem to be building your nest below. 
 j Behave like a man who seeks a city out of 
 sight, whose citizenship is in heaven, and who 
 would be content with many hardships till he 
 gets home. 
 
 Labor to feel like a son of God in every con- 
 dition in which you are placed. Never forget 
 you are on your Father's ground so long as 
 you are here on earth. Never forget that 
 
88 "are you an heir?" 
 
 a Father's hand sends all your mercies and 
 crosses. Cast every care on Him. Be happy 
 and cheerful in Him. "Why indeed art thou 
 ever sad if thou art the King's son ? Why 
 should men ever doubt, when they look at 
 you, whether it is a pleasant thing to be one 
 of God's children ? 
 
 Labor to heliave towards others like a son of 
 Ood. Be blameless and harmless in your day 
 and generation. Be a peacemaker among all 
 you know. Seek for your children's sonship 
 to God above everything else. Seek for them 
 an inheritance in heaven, whatever else you 
 do for them. No man leaves his children so 
 well provided for, as he who leaves them sons 
 and heirs of God. 
 
 Persevere in your Christian calling, if you 
 are a son of God, and press forward more and 
 more. Be careful to lav aside every weight, 
 and the sin which most easily besets you. Keep 
 your eyes steadily fixed on Jesus. Abide in 
 Him. Remember that without Him you can 
 do nothing, and with Him you can do all 
 things. Watch and pray daily. Be steadfast, 
 
"are you an heir?" 89 
 
 unmovable, and always abounding in the work 
 of the Lord. Settle it down in your heart, 
 that not a cup of cold water given in the name 
 j of a disciple, shall lose its reward, and that 
 I every year you are so much nearer home. 
 I Yet a little time and He that shall come 
 
 i will come, and will not tarry. Then shall be 
 the glorious liberty, and the full manifestation 
 I of the sons of God. Then shall the world 
 i acknowledge that they were the truly wise. 
 I Then shall the sons of God at length come of 
 age. Then shall they no longer be heirs in 
 expectancy, but heirs in possession. And 
 then shall they hear with exceeding joy those 
 comfortable words, '' Come, ye blessed of my 
 Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
 from the foundation of the world." (Matt. xxv. 
 84.) Surely that day will make amends for all I 
 That all who read this tract may see the 
 value of the inheritance of glory, and be found 
 at length in possession of it, is my heart's de- 
 sire and prayer. 
 
 I remain, your affectionate friend, 
 
 J. C. Rtle. 
 
4t 
 
 B\nn im ht ^attti?" 
 
 " Are there few that "be saved?" — Luee xiii. 23. 
 
 Reader, 
 
 I do not know into whose hands this 
 tract may fall. But I know there is no living 
 soul who ought not to feel an interest in its 
 subject. Young men or maidens, old men or 
 children, married or single, gentle or simple, 
 listen to a Christmas question ; — jShall you be 
 saved f 
 
 What does Christmas mean ? Is it not the 
 time of year when men are reminded of Christ 
 the Saviour's birth? Are you not told to 
 remember how Jesus came into the world to 
 save sinners ? All this is true. There is no 
 denying it. The birth of Christ the Saviour, 
 — the manhood of Christ the Saviour, — the 
 salvation provided by Christ the Saviour, — 
 all these are mighty facts. But after all will 
 
^* SHALL YOU BE SATED?" 91 
 
 they profit you anything ? Will they do you 
 any good ? In one word, — shall you he saved ? 
 
 It may be you are hoping to have a merry 
 Christmas. You are going to assemble your 
 family, and gather all the beloved ones within 
 your reach round your fire-side. You are 
 about to eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and 
 forget cares for a season. It is all well. I 
 am no enemy to mirth in moderation. But 
 this I say, — your family circle cannot always 
 be unbroken. Yet a little while, and your 
 fire-side will know you no more. You will 
 be lying in a narrow, silent home. And 
 then, consider, — shall you he saved ? 
 
 It may be you are rich and prosperous in 
 this world. You have money, and all that 
 money can command. You have honor, love, 
 obedience, troops of friends. But remember, 
 riches are not forever. You cannot keep 
 them longer than a few years. It is appoint- 
 ed unto men once to die, and after that the 
 judgment. And then, consider, — shall you he 
 savedj 
 
 It may be you are poor and needy. You 
 
92 "shall you be saved?" 
 
 have scarcely enougli to provide food and 
 raiment for yourself and family. You are 
 often distressed for want of comforts, wliich 
 you have no power to get. Like Lazarus, 
 you seem to have evil things only, and not 
 good. But you take comfort in the thought 
 that there is an end of all this. There is a 
 world to come, where poverty and want shall 
 be unknown. But, consider a moment, — shall 
 you he saved f 
 
 It may be you have a weak and sickly 
 body. You hardly know what it is to be 
 free from pain. You have so long parted 
 company with health that you have almost 
 forgotten what it is like. You have often 
 said in the morning, " would God it were 
 evening," — and in the evening, " would God 
 it were morning." There are days when you 
 are tempted by very weariness to cry out with 
 Jonah, '' it is better to die than to live." But, 
 remember, death is not all. There is some- 
 thing else beyond the grave. And then, con- 
 sider, — shall you he saved f 
 
 Keader, I entreat you in all affection, to 
 
"shall you be saved?" 93 
 
 examine the question I put before you. I 
 address you as a dying creature, — an im- 
 mortal creature, — a creature going to be 
 judged before the bar of God. As ever you 
 would die in peace, rise again with hope, be 
 acquitted in the day of judgment, and live for 
 ever in glory, — give me a hearing this day. 
 Shall you be saved ? 
 
 If it were an easy thing to be saved, I 
 would not address you as I do. But is it so ? 
 Let us see. 
 
 If the common opinion of the world, as to 
 the number of the saved, was correct, I would 
 not trouble you. But is it so ? Let us see. 
 
 If God had never spoken plainly in the 
 Bible about the number of the saved, I might 
 well be silent. But is it so ? Let us see. 
 
 If experience and facts left it doubtful 
 whether many or few would be saved, I might 
 hold my peace. But is it so ? Let us see. 
 
 Come now, and let me set before you in 
 order the four following points, 
 
 I. Let me explain what it is to he saved. 
 
II. Let me point out the mistakes which are 
 common in the world about the niimher of the 
 saved. 
 
 III. Let me show what the Bible says about 
 the number of the saved. 
 
 lY. Let me bring forward some plain facts, 
 as to the number of the saved. 
 
 Reader, if you go along with me in these 
 four points, you will be better able to under- 
 stand the importance of the question, — "Shall 
 you be saved ?" 
 
 I. Mrst of all let me explain what it is to 
 be saved. 
 
 This is a matter that must be cleared up. 
 Till you know this, you cannot answer my 
 question. By being saved I may mean one 
 thing, and you may mean another. Let me 
 tell you what I find the Bible says it is to 
 be saved, and then there will be no mis- 
 understanding. 
 
 To be saved, is not merely to profess and 
 call yourself a Christian. You may have all 
 the outward parts of Christianity, and yet be 
 
lost after all. You may be baptized into 
 Christ's Church, — go to Christ'^ table, — have 
 Christian knowledge, — be reckoned a Chris- 
 tian man, — and yet be a dead soul all your 
 days ; — and at last be found on Christ's left 
 hand, among the goats. No ! reader, this is 
 not salvation. Salvation is something far 
 higher and deeper than this. 
 
 To be saved, is to be delivered in this pres- 
 ent life from the guilt of sin^ by faith in Jesus 
 Christ, the Saviour. It is to be pardoned, 
 justified, and freed from every charge of sin, 
 by faith in Christ's blood and mediation. 
 Whosoever with his heart believes on the 
 Lord Jesus, is a saved soul. He shall not 
 perish. He shall have eternal life. This is 
 the first part of salvation, and the root of all 
 the rest. But this is not all. 
 
 To be saved, is to be delivered in this 
 present life from the power of sin^ by being 
 born again, and sanctified by Christ's Spirit. 
 It is to be freed from the hateful dominion 
 of sin, the world, and the devil, by having a 
 new nature put in us by the Holy Ghost. 
 
96 "shall you be saved?" 
 
 "Whosoever is thus renewed in the spirit of 
 his mind, and converted, is a saved soul. He 
 shall not perish. He shall enter into the 
 kingdom of God. This is the second part of 
 salvation. But this is not all. 
 
 To be saved, is to be delivered in the day 
 of judgment, from all the awful consequences 
 of sin. It is to be declared blameless, spot- 
 less, faultless, and complete in Christ, while 
 others are found guilty, and condemned for 
 ever. It is to hear those comfortable words, 
 — " Come, ye blessed," while others are hear- 
 ing those fearful words, — " Depart, ye cursed." 
 It is to be owned and confessed by Christ, 
 as one of his dear children and servants, 
 while others are disowned and cast off for 
 ever. It is to be pronounced free from the 
 portion of the wicked, — the worm that never 
 dies, — the fire that is not quenched, — the 
 weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, that 
 never ends. It is to receive the reward pre- 
 pared for the righteous, — the glorious body, 
 — the kingdom that is incorruptible, — the 
 crown that fadeth not away, — and the joy 
 
"shall you be saved?" 97 
 
 that is forevermore. This is complete salva- 
 tion. This is the redemption, for which true 
 Christians are bid to look and long. This is 
 the heritage of all men and women, who 
 believe and are born again. B}^ faith they 
 are saved already. In the eye of God, their 
 final salvation is an absolutely certain thing. 
 Their names are in the book of life. Their 
 mansions in heaven are prepared already. 
 But still there is a fulness of redemption and 
 salvation, which they do not attain to, while 
 they are in the body. They are saved from 
 the guilt and power of sin, — but not from the 
 necessity of watching and praying against it. 
 They are saved from the fear and love of the 
 world, — but not from the necessity of daily 
 fighting with it. They are saved from the 
 service of the devil, — but they are not saved 
 from being vexed by his temptations. But 
 when Christ comes, the salvation of believers 
 shall be complete. They possess it already 
 in the bud. They shall see it then in the 
 flower. 
 
 Such is salvation. It is to be saved from 
 7 
 
98 "shall you be saved?" 
 
 tlie guilt, power, and consequences of sin. It 
 is to believe and be sanctified now, and to be 
 delivered from the wrath of God in the last 
 day. He that has the first part in the life that 
 now is, shall undoubtedly have the second 
 part in the life to come. Both parts of it 
 hang together. What God has joined together, 
 let no man dare to put asunder. Let none 
 dream he shall ever be saved at last, if he is 
 not born again first. Let none doubt if he is 
 born again here, that he shall assuredly be 
 saved hereafter. 
 
 Header, take notice, the chief object of a 
 minister of the Gospel, is to set forward the 
 salvation of souls. I lay it down as a certain 
 fact, that he is no true minister, who does not 
 feel this. Talk not of a man's orders ! All 
 may have been done correctly, and according 
 to rule. He may wear a black coat, and be 
 called a " reverend" man. But if the saving 
 of souls is not the grand interest, — the ruling 
 passion, — the absorbing thought of his heart, 
 — ^he is no true minister of the Gospel. He is 
 a hireling, and not a shepherd. Congregations 
 
"SILVLL YOU BE SAVED?" 99 
 
 may have called him, — but he is not called hj 
 the Holy Ghost. Bishops may have ordained 
 him, — but not Christ. 
 
 For what purpose do you suppose we minis- 
 ters are sent forth ? Is it merely to wear a 
 surplice,— and read the services, — and preach 
 a certain number of sermons ? Is it merely 
 to get a comfortable living, and be in a re- 
 spectable profession ? No ! indeed ! we are 
 sent forth for other ends than these. We are 
 sent to turn men from darkness to light, and 
 from the power of Satan unto God. We are 
 sent to persuade men to flee from the wrath to 
 come. We are sent to draw men from the 
 service of the world to the service of God, — 
 to awaken the sleeping, — to arouse the care- 
 less, — and by all means to save some. 
 
 Think not that all is done, when we have 
 set up regular services, and persuaded people 
 to attend them. Think not that all is done, 
 when full congregations are gathered, and the 
 Lord's table is crowded, and the parish school 
 is filled. We want to see manifest work of 
 the Spirit among people, — an evident sense of 
 
sin, — a lively faith in Christ, — a decided change 
 of heart, — a distinct separation from the world, 
 — a holy walk with God. In one Avord, we 
 ivant to see souls saved, and we are fools and 
 impostors, — blind leaders of the blind, — if we 
 rest satisfied with anything less. 
 
 Reader, take notice, that the grand object of 
 having a religion, is to be saved. This is the 
 great question that you have to settle with 
 your conscience, and to which I want you to 
 attend. The matter is not, whether you go to 
 church or chapel, — whether you go through 
 certain forms and ceremonies, — whether you 
 observe certain days, and perform a certain 
 number of religious duties. The matter is, 
 whether, after all, 3^ou will be saved. With- 
 out this, all your religious doings are weariness, 
 and labor in vain. 
 
 Never, never be content with anything 
 short of a saving religion. Surely to have a 
 religion, which neither gives peace in life, nor 
 hope in death, nor glory in the world to come, 
 is childish folly. 
 
 And now, reader, you have heard what sal- 
 
"shall you be saved?" 101 
 
 vation is. Consider calmly my question, — 
 ''SHALL YOU BE SAVED?" 
 
 11. Let me, in the second place, point out the 
 mistoJces which are common in the luorld, about 
 the number of the saved, 
 
 I need not go far for evidence on this subject. 
 I will speak of things, which every man may see 
 with his own eyes, and hear with his own ears. 
 
 I will try to show you, that there is a wide- 
 spread delusion abroad about this matter, and 
 that this very delusion is one of the greatest 
 dangers to which your soul is exposed. 
 
 What then do men generally think about 
 the spiritual state of others, while they are alive f 
 What do they think of the souls of their re- 
 lations, and friends^ and neighbors, and ac- 
 quaintances ? Let us just see how that ques- 
 tion can be answered. 
 
 They know that all around them are going 
 to die, and to be judged. They know that they 
 have all souls to be lost or saved. And what, 
 to all appearance, do they consider their end 
 is likely to be ? 
 
 J 
 
Do they think those around them are in 
 danger of hell ? There is nothing whatever 
 to show they think so. They eat and drink 
 together. They laugh, and talk, and walk, 
 and work together. They seldom, or never, 
 speak to one another of God and eternit}^, — of 
 heaven and of hell. I ask any one, who knows 
 the world, as in the sight of God, is it not so ? 
 
 Will they allow that anybody is wicked or 
 ungodly? Never, hardly, whatever may be 
 his way of life. He may be a breaker of the 
 Sabbath. He may be a neglecter of the Bible. 
 He may be utterly Avithout evidences of true 
 religion. No matter ! His friends will often 
 tell you, that he may not make so much pro- 
 fession as some, but that he has a "good heart" 
 at the bottom, and is not a wicked man. I 
 ask any one, who knows the world, as in God's 
 sight, is it not so ? 
 
 And what does all this prove ? It proves, 
 that men flatter themselves, there is no great 
 difl&culty in getting to heaven. It proves 
 plainly, that men are of opinion, that most 
 persons will be saved. 
 
But what do men generally think about the 
 spiritual state of others, after they are dead? 
 Let us just see how this question can be an- 
 swered. 
 
 Men allow, if thej are not infidels, that all 
 who die have gone to a state of happiness, or 
 of misery. And to which of these two states 
 do they seem to think the greater part of per- 
 sons go, when they leave this world ? 
 
 I say, without fear of contradiction, that 
 there is an unhappily common fashion of 
 speaking well of the condition of those who 
 have departed. It matters little, apparently, 
 how a man has lived. He may have given no 
 signs of repentance, or faith in Christ. He 
 may have been ignorant of the plan of salva- 
 tion, set forth in the gospel. He may have 
 shown no evidence whatever of conversion or 
 sanctification. He may have lived and died, 
 like a creature without a soul. And yet, as 
 soon as this man is dead, people will dare to 
 say, that he is " probably happier than ever he 
 was in this life." They will tell you compla- 
 cently, they "hope he is gone to a better 
 
 .-J 
 
world." They will shake their heads gravely, 
 and say, they " hope he is in heaven." They 
 will follow him to the grave without fear and 
 trembling, and speak of his death afterwards, 
 as *' a blessed change for him." I have no 
 wish to hurt any one's feelings. I only ask 
 any one, who knows the world, — is it not all 
 true? 
 
 And what does it all prove? Itjustsup» 
 plies one more awful proof, that men are deter- 
 mined to believe it is an easy business to get 
 to heaven. Men will have it, that most per- 
 sons are saved. 
 
 But again, what do men generally think of 
 ministers who preach fully the doctrines of the 
 New Testament? Let us just see how this 
 question can be answered. 
 
 Send a man into a parish who shall declare 
 all the counsel of God, and keep back nothing 
 that is profitable. Let him be one, who shall 
 clearly proclaim justification by faith, — regen- 
 eration by the Spirit, — and holiness of life. 
 Let him be one, who shall draw the line dis- 
 tinctly between the converted and the uncon- 
 
verted, and give both to sinners and to saints 
 their portion. Let him produce out of the 
 New Testament a plain, unanswerable, unmis- 
 takable description of the true Christian's 
 character. Let him show that no man who 
 does not possess that character, can have any 
 reasonable hope of being saved. Let him 
 press that description closely on the con- 
 sciences of his hearers, and urge upon them 
 repeatedly, that every soul who dies without 
 that character will be lost. Let him do this, 
 ably and affectionately, and, after all, what 
 will the result be? 
 
 The result will be that, while some repent 
 and are saved, the great majority of his hear- 
 ers will not receive and believe his doctrine. 
 They may not oppose him publicly. They 
 may even esteem him, and respect him as an 
 earnest, sincere, kind-hearted man. But they 
 will go no further. He may show them the 
 express words of Christ and his apostles. He 
 may quote text upon text, and passage upon 
 passage. It will be to no purpose. The great 
 majority of his hearers will think him ''too 
 
 J 
 
106 " SHALL YOU BE 'SAVED ?" 
 
 strict," and "too close," and "too particular." 
 They will saj among themselves, that the 
 world is not so bad as the minister seems to 
 think, — and that the people cannot be so good 
 as the minister v/ants them to be, — and that 
 after all they hope they shall be all right at 
 the last. I appeal to any minister of the Gos- 
 pel, who has been any length of time in the 
 ministry, whether I am not stating the truth. 
 Are not these things so ? 
 
 And what does it all prove ? It just makes 
 one more proof that men, generally, are re- 
 solved to think that salvation is not a very 
 hard business, and that, after all, most people 
 will be saved. 
 
 But what solid reason can men show us for 
 these common opinions ? Upon what Scrip- 
 ture do they build this notion, that salvation 
 is an easy business, and that most people will 
 be saved? What revelation of God can they 
 show us, to satisfy us that these opinions are 
 sound and true ? 
 
 They have none, — literally none at all. 
 They have not a text of Scripture, which 
 
 1 
 
"shall you be saved"?" 107 
 
 fairly interpreted, supports their views. They 
 have not a reason which will bear examina- 
 tion. They speak smooth things about one 
 another's spiritual state, just because they do 
 not like to allow there is danger. They cry 
 peace, peace, over one another's graves, be- 
 cause they want it to be so, and would fain 
 persuade themselves that so it is. Surely 
 against such hollow, foundationless opinions 
 as these, a minister of the Gospel may well 
 protest. 
 
 Take notice, reader, that the world's opinion 
 is worth nothing in matters of religion. About 
 the price of an ox or a horse, or the value of 
 labor, — about wages, and work, — about money 
 and corn, — about all such things, the men of 
 the world may give a correct opinion. But 
 beware, if you love life, of being guided by 
 man's judgment, in the things that concern 
 salvation. " The natural man receiveth not 
 the things of the Spirit of God, for they are 
 foolishness unto him." (1 Cor. ii. 14.) 
 
 Take notice, above all, that it never will do 
 to think as others do, if you want to get to 
 
heaven. No doubt it is easy work to go with 
 the crowd in religious matters. It will save 
 you much trouble to swim with the tide. You 
 will be spared much ridicule. You will be 
 freed from much unpleasantness. But, re- 
 member, once for all, that the world's mis- 
 takes about salvation are many, and danger- 
 ous. Be ver}^ sure, that unless you are on 
 your guard against them, you will never be 
 saved. 
 
 And now, reader, I press my question once 
 more on your attention, — SHALL YOU BE 
 SAVED ? 
 
 IIL Let me show you, in the third place, 
 luhat the Bible says about the number of the saved. 
 
 There is only one standard of truth and er- 
 ror, to which you and I ought to appeal. That 
 standard is the Holy Scripture. Whatsoever 
 is there written, vou and I must receive and 
 believe. Whatsoever cannot be proved by 
 Scripture, joxi. and I ought to refuse. 
 
 Reader, can you subscribe to this ? If you 
 cannot, there is little chance of your being 
 
 _J 
 
n" 
 
 "shall you be saved?" 109 
 
 moved by any tract of mine. If you can, give 
 me your attention for a few moments, and I 
 will tell you some solemn things. 
 
 Look, then, for one thing, at one single text 
 of Scripture, and examine it well. You will 
 find it in Matthew, vii. 13, 14 : — '' Enter ye in 
 at the strait gate : for wide is the gate, and 
 broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, 
 and many there be which go in thereat. Be- 
 cause strait is the gate, and narrow is the way 
 that leadeth unto life, and few there be that 
 find it." Now these are the words of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ. They are the words of 
 Him, who was very God, and whose words 
 shall never pass away. They are the words 
 of Him, who knew what was in man, — who 
 knew things to come, and things past, — who 
 knew that He should judge all men at the last 
 day. And what do those words mean ? Are 
 they words which no man can understand, 
 without a knowledge of Hebrew or Greek? 
 No ! they are not. Are they a dark,.unfulfill- 
 ed prophecy ? No ! they are not. Are they 
 a deep, mysterious saying, which no human 
 
110 "shall you be saved?" 
 
 intellect can fathom ? No ! they are not. 
 The words are clear, plain, and unmistakable. 
 Ask any laboring man, who can read, and he 
 will tell you so. There is only one meaning 
 which can be attached to them. Their mean- 
 ing is, that many people will be lost, and few 
 will be found saved. 
 
 Look, in the next place, at the whole history 
 of mankind as respects religion, as you have 
 it given in the Bible. Go through the whole 
 four thousand years, over which the history 
 of the Bible reaches. Show me, if you can, 
 one single period of time, at which godly peo- 
 ple were many, and ungodly people were few. 
 
 How was it in the days of ISToah ? The 
 earth, we are told expressly was "filled with 
 violence." The imagination of man's heart 
 was only " evil continually." All flesh had 
 '' corrupted his way." The loss of paradise 
 was forgotten. The warnings of God, by 
 Noah's mouth, were despised. And, at length, 
 when the flood came on the world, and drowned 
 every living thing, there were but eight people 
 who had had faith enough to flee for refuge 
 
"shall you be saved?" Ill 
 
 to the ark. And were there many saved in 
 those days ? Let any honest reader of the 
 Bible give an answer to that question. There 
 can be no doubt what the answer must be. 
 
 How was it in the days of Abraham, and 
 Isaac, and Lot? It is evident, that in the 
 matter of religion, they stood very much 
 alone. The family from which they were ta- 
 ken, was a family of idolaters. The nations 
 among whom they lived, were sunk in gross 
 darkness and sin. When Sodom and Gomor- 
 rah were burned, there were not five righteous 
 people to be found in the four cities of the 
 plain. When Abraham and Isaac desired to 
 find wives for their sons, there was not a wo- 
 man in the land where they sojourned, to 
 whom they could wish to see them married. 
 And were there many saved in those days ? 
 Let any honest reader of the Bible give an 
 answer to that question. There can be no 
 doubt what the answer must be. 
 
 How was it with Israel, in the days of tbe 
 Judges ? No one can read the book of Judges 
 and not be struck with the sad examples of 
 
 .-] 
 
man's corruption wliich it affords. Time after 
 time we are told of the people forsaking God, 
 and following idols. In spite of the plainest 
 warnings, they joined af&nity with the Canaan- 
 ites, and learned their works. Time after time 
 we read of their being oppressed by foreign 
 kings, because of their sin, and then miracu- 
 lously delivered. Time after time we read of 
 the deliverance being forgotten, and of the 
 people returning to their former sins, like the 
 sow that is washed to her wallowing in the 
 mire. And were there many saved in those 
 days? Let any honest reader of the Bible 
 give an answer to that question. There can 
 be no doubt what the answer must be. 
 
 How was it with Israel in the days of the 
 kings? From Saul, the first king, down to 
 Zedekiah, the last king, their history is a mel- 
 ancholy account of backsliding, and declen- 
 sion, and idolatry, — with a few bright excep- 
 tional periods. Even under the best kings, 
 there seems to have been a vast amount of 
 unbelief and ungodliness, which only lay hid 
 for a season, and burst out at the first favora- 
 
♦t- 
 
 " SHALL YOU BE SAVED?" 113 
 
 L. 
 
 ble opportunity. Over and over again, we 
 find, that under the most zealous kings, " the 
 high places were not taken away." Mark 
 how even David speaks of the state of things 
 around him : " Help, Lord, for the godly man 
 ceaseth ; for the faithful fail from among the 
 children of men." (Psalm xii. 1.) Mark how 
 Isaiah describes the condition of Judah and 
 Jerusalem :— " The whole head is sick, and 
 the whole heart faint. From the sole of the 
 foot, even unto the crown of the head, there 
 is no soundness in it." "Except the Lord of 
 hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, 
 we should have been as Sodom, and should 
 have been like unto Gomorrah." (Isa. i. 5—9.) 
 Mark how Jeremiah describes his times:— 
 " Kun ye to and fro through the streets of Je- 
 rusalem, and see now and learn, and seek in 
 the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, 
 if there be any that executeth judgment, that 
 seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it." (Jer. 
 V. 1.) Mark how Ezekiel speaks of the men 
 of his times :— " The word of the Lord came 
 unto me, saying, Son of man, the house of Is- 
 
 8 
 
114 "shall you be saved?" 
 
 rael is to me become dross : all they are brass 
 and tin and lead in the midst of the furnace : 
 they are even the dross of silver." (Ezek. xxii. 
 17, 18). Mark what he says in the sixteenth 
 and twenty-third chapters of his prophecy, 
 about the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. 
 And were there many saved in those days ? 
 Let any honest reader of the Bible give an an- 
 swer to that question. There can be no doubt 
 what the answer must be. 
 
 How was it with the Jews, when our Lord 
 Jesus Christ was on earth? The words of 
 Saint John are the best account of their spir- 
 itual state : — " He came unto his own, and his 
 own received him not." (John, i. 11.) He lived 
 as no one born of woman had ever lived be- 
 fore, — a blameless, harmless, holy life. He 
 went about doing good. He preached as no 
 one ever preached before. Even the officers 
 of his enemies confessed, " never man spake 
 like this man." He did miracles to confirm 
 His ministry ; which, at first sight, we might 
 have fancied would have convinced the most 
 hardened. But notwithstanding all this, the 
 
'•SHALL YOU BE SAVED?" 115 
 
 vast majority of the Jews refused to believe 
 Him. Follow our Lord in all his travels over 
 Palestine, and you will always find the same 
 story. Follow Him into the city, and follow 
 Him into the wilderness. Follow Him to Ca- 
 pernaum, and Nazareth, and follow Him to 
 Jerusalem. Follow Him among Scribes and 
 Pharisees, and follow Him among Sadducees 
 and Herodians. — Everywhere, you will arrive 
 at the same result. They were amazed — they 
 were silenced — they were astonished — they 
 wondered — but very few became disciples. 
 The immense proportion of the nation would 
 have none of His doctrine, and crowned all 
 their wickedness by putting Him to death. 
 And were there many saved in those days ? 
 Let any honest reader of the Bible give an 
 answer to that question. There can be no 
 doubt what the answer must be. 
 
 How was it with the world in the days of 
 the apostles ? If ever there was a period when 
 true religion flourished, it was then. Never 
 did the Holy Ghost call into the fold of Christ 
 so many souls in the same space of time. 
 
Never w^re there so many conversions, under 
 the preaching of the Gospel, as when Paul and 
 his fellow-laborers were the preachers. Bat 
 still, it is plain from the Acts of the Apostles, 
 that true Christianity was "a way everywhere 
 spoken against." It is evident that in every 
 city, even in Jerusalem itself, true Christians 
 were a small minority. We read of perils of 
 all kinds which the apostles had to go through, 
 — not only perils from without, but perils from 
 within, — not only perils from the heathen, but 
 perils from false brethren. We hardly read 
 of a single city visited by Paul, where he was 
 not in danger from open violence and perse- 
 cution. We see plainly, by some of his epis- 
 tles, that the professing churches were mixed 
 bodies, in which there were many rotten mem- 
 bers. We find him telling the Philippians a 
 painful part of his experience ; — "Many walk, 
 of whom I tell you, even weeping, that they 
 are the enemies of the cross of Christ : whose 
 end is destruction, whose god is their belly, 
 and whose glory is their shame, who mind 
 earthly things." And were there many saved 
 
"shall you be saved?" 117 
 
 in those days? Let any honest reader of the 
 Bible give an answer to that question. There 
 can be no doubt what that answer must be. 
 
 And now, reader, I entreat you to weigh 
 well the lessons of the Bible which I have 
 just brought forward. Believe me, they are 
 weighty and solemn, and deserve serious at- 
 tention. 
 
 Think not to evade their force, by saying 
 that the Bible only tells the story of the Jews. 
 Think not to comfort yourself, by saying that, 
 perhaps the Jews were more wicked than other 
 nations, and that many people were probably 
 saved among other nations, though few were 
 saved among the Jews. You forget that this 
 argument tells against you. You forget that 
 the Jews had light and privileges which the 
 Gentiles had not, and, with all their sins and 
 faults, were probably the holiest and most 
 moral nation upon earth. As to the state of 
 people among the Assyrians, and Egyptians, 
 and Greeks, and Eomans, it is awful to think 
 what it must have been. But this we may be 
 sure of, that if many were ungodly among the 
 
Jews, the number was far greater among the 
 Gentiles. If few were saved in the green tree, 
 alas ! how much fewer must have been saved 
 in the dry. 
 
 Take notice, once for all, that the Bible and 
 the men of the world speak very differently 
 about the number of the saved. According 
 to the Bible, few will be saved. According to 
 the men of the world, m.any. According to 
 the men of the world, few are going to hell. 
 According to the Bible, few are going to hea- 
 ven. According to the men of the world, 
 salvation is an easy business. According to 
 the Bible, the way is narrow, and the gate is 
 strait. According to the men of the world, 
 few will be found at last seeking admission 
 into heaven when too late. According to the 
 Bible, many will be in that sad condition, and 
 will cry in vain, Lord, Lord, open to us. Head- 
 er, the Bible was never wrong yet. The most 
 unlikely and improbable prophecies about 
 Tyre, Egypt, Babylon, and Nineveh, have all 
 come true to the letter. And as in other mat- 
 ters, so it will be about the number of the 
 
saved. The Bible will prove quite right, and 
 the men of the world quite wrong. 
 
 And now, Reader, consider once more my 
 question;— SHALL YOU BE SAVED? 
 
 TV. Let me show you^ in the last place ^ some 
 plain facts about the number of the saved. 
 
 I ask the reader's particular attention to 
 this part of the subject. I know well that 
 people flatter themselves, that the world is 
 far better and wiser than it was 1800 years 
 ago. We have churches, and schools, and 
 books. We have civilization, and liberty, and 
 good laws. We have a far higher standard of 
 morality in society, than that which once 
 prevailed. We have the power of obtaining 
 comforts and enjoyments, which our fore- 
 fathers knew nothing of. Steam, and gas, 
 and electricity, and chemistry, have effected 
 wonders for us. All this is perfectly true. 
 I see it and am thankful. But all this does 
 not diminish the importance of the question 
 are there few or many of us likely to be saved f 
 
 I^am thoroughly satisfied, that the import- 
 
122 "shall you be saved?'- 
 
 ances, and found wanting. Let us apply this 
 sifting process to any parish in this land, and 
 see what the result would be. 
 
 Let us set aside first of all those persons in 
 a parish who are living in any hind of open sin. 
 By these I mean such as fornicators, and adul- 
 terers, and liars, and thieveS; and drunkards, 
 and cheats, and revilers, and extortioners. 
 About these I think there can be no differ- 
 ence of opinion. The Bible says plainly, that 
 " they which do such things, shall not inherit 
 the kingdom of God." Now, will these per- 
 sons be saved ? The answer is clear to my 
 own mind, — in their present condition they 
 will not. 
 
 Let us set aside, in the next place, those 
 persons who are Sabbath-hreakers. I mean by 
 this expression, those who seldom or never 
 go to a place of worship, though they have 
 the power, — those who do not give the Sab- 
 bath to God, but to themselves, — those who 
 thing of nothing but doing their own ways 
 and finding their own pleasure upon Sundays. 
 They show plainly, that they are not meet 
 
for heaven. The inhabitants of heaven would 
 ,be company they could not like. The em- 
 ployment of heaven would be a weariness to 
 them, and not a joy. Now will these persons 
 be saved? The answer is clear to my own 
 mind, — in their present condition they will 
 not. 
 
 Let us set aside, in the next place, all those 
 persons who are careless and thoughtless Chris- 
 tians. I mean by this expression, those who 
 attend many of the outward ordinances of 
 religion, but show no signs of taking any real 
 interest in its doctrine and substance. They 
 care little whether the minister preaches the 
 Gospel or not. They care little whether they 
 hear a good sermon or not. They would care 
 little if all the Bibles in the world were 
 burned. They would care little if an Act of 
 Parliament were passed forbidding any one to 
 pray. In short, religion is not the " one thing 
 needful" with them. Their treasure is on 
 earth. They are just like Gallio, to whom it 
 mattered little whether people were Jews or 
 Christians: — he ''cared for none of these 
 
122 "shall yoij be saved?'-' 
 
 ances, and found wanting. Let us apply this 
 sifting process to any parish in this land, and 
 see what the result would be. 
 
 Let us set aside first of all those persons in 
 a parish who are living in any kind of open sin. 
 By these I mean such as fornicators, and adul- 
 terers, and liars, and thieves, and drunkards, 
 and cheats, and revilers, and extortioners. 
 About these I think there can be no differ- 
 ence of opinion. The Bible says plainly, that 
 " they which do such things, shall not inherit 
 the kingdom of God." Now, will these per- 
 sons be saved ? The answer is clear to my 
 own mind, — in their present condition they 
 will not. 
 
 Let us set aside, in the next place, those 
 persons who are Sabhatli-hreakers. I mean by 
 this expression, those who seldom or never 
 go to a place of worship, though they have 
 the power, — those who do not give the Sab- 
 bath to God, but to themselves, — those who 
 thing of nothing but doing their own ways 
 and finding their own pleasure upon Sundays. 
 They show plainly, that they are not meet 
 
for heaven. The inhabitants of heaven would 
 be company they could not like. The em- 
 ployment of heaven would be a weariness to 
 them, and not a joy. Now will these persons 
 be saved? The answer is clear to my own 
 mind, — in their present condition they will 
 not. 
 
 Let us set aside, in the next place, all those 
 persons who are careless and thoughtless Chris- 
 tians, I mean by this expression, those who 
 attend many of the outward ordinances of 
 rehgion, but show no signs of taking any real 
 interest in its doctrine and substance. They 
 care little whether the minister preaches the 
 Gospel or not. They care little whether they 
 hear a good sermon or not. They would care 
 little if all the Bibles in the world were 
 burned. They would care little if an Act of 
 Parliament were passed forbidding any one to 
 pray. In short, religion is not the " one thing 
 needful" with them. Their treasure is on 
 earth. They are just like Gallio, to whom it 
 mattered little whether people were Jews or 
 Christians : — he " cared for none of these 
 
124 "shall you be saved?" 
 
 things." Now will these persons be saved ? 
 The answer is clear to my own mind, — in 
 their present condition they will not. 
 
 Let us set aside, in the next place, all those 
 who are formalists and self-righteous. I mean 
 by this expression, those who value them- 
 selves on their own regularity in the use of 
 the forms of Christianity, and depend either 
 directly or indirectly on their own doings for 
 their acceptance with God. I mean all who 
 rest their souls on any work but the work of 
 Christ, — or any righteousness but the right- 
 eousness of Christ. Of such the Apostle 
 Paul has expressly testified, " by the deeds of 
 the law shall no flesh living be justified." 
 " Other foundation can no man lay than that 
 is laid, which is Jesus Christ." And dare we 
 say, in the face of such texts, that such as 
 these will be saved ? The answer is plain to 
 my own mind, — in their present condition 
 they will not. 
 
 Let us set aside, in the next place, all those 
 who know the Gospel with their heads, but do 
 not obey it luith their hearts. These are those 
 
"shall tou be saved?" 125 
 
 unhappy persons who have eyes to see the 
 way of life, but have not will or courage to 
 walk in it. They approve sound doctrine. 
 They will not listen to preaching which does 
 not contain it. But the fear of man, or the 
 cares of the world, or the love of money, or 
 the dread of offending relations, perpetually 
 holds them back. They will not come out 
 boldly, and take up the cross, and confess 
 Christ before men. Of these also the Bible 
 speaks expressly ; " Faith if it hath not works 
 is dead, being alone." " To him that knoweth 
 to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. " 
 " If any man is ashamed of me in this gene- 
 ration, of him will the Son of man be ashamed 
 when He cometh in the glory of His Father, 
 with the holy angels." Shall we say that 
 such as these will be saved ? The answer is 
 clear to my own mind, — in their present con- 
 dition they will not. 
 
 Let us set aside, in the last place, all those 
 who are hypocritical professors. I mean by 
 that expression, all those whose religion con- 
 sists in talk and high profession, and in 
 
nothing besides. These are they of whom the 
 prophet Ezekiel speaks, saying, " with their 
 mouth they show much love, but their heart 
 goeth after their covetousness." They pro- 
 fess that they know God, but in works they 
 deny him. They have a form of godliness, 
 but they have not the power of it. They are 
 saints at church, and saints to talk to in pub- 
 lic. But they are not saints in private, and 
 worst of all, they are not saints in heart. 
 There can be no dispute about such persons. 
 Shall we say that they will be saved ? There 
 can only be one answer, — in their present 
 condition they will not. 
 
 And now, reader, after setting aside these 
 classes which I have described, I ask you, how 
 many persons in any parish in England will 
 there be left behind ? How many after sifting 
 a parish thoroughly and honestly, — how many 
 men and women will remain who are in the 
 way to be saved ? How many true penitents, 
 — how many real believers in Christ, — how 
 many truly holy people will there be found ? 
 I put it to your conscience to give an honest 
 
"shall you be saved ?'^ 127 
 
 answer, as in the sight of God. I ask you 
 whether after sifting a parish with the Bible 
 in the fashion described, you can come to any 
 conclusion but this, — that few persons, — 
 ■sadly few persons, — are in a way to be saved. 
 
 It is a painful conclusion to arrive at, but I 
 know not how it can be avoided. It is a fear- 
 ful and tremendous thought, that there should 
 be so many churchmen in England, and so 
 many dissenters. — so many seat-holders and so 
 many pew renters, — so many hearers and so 
 many communicants,— -and yet, after all, so 
 few in a way to be saved. But the only ques- 
 tion is, is it not true ? It is vain to shut our 
 eyes against facts. It is useless to pretend not 
 to see what is going on around us. The state- 
 ment of the Bible, and the facts in the world 
 we live in, will lead us to the same con- 
 clusion, — many are being lost, and few being 
 saved. 
 
 I know well that many do not believe what 
 I am saying, because they think there is an 
 immense quantity of death-bed repentances. 
 They flatter themselves that multitudes, who 
 
do not live religious lives, will yet die reli- 
 gious deaths. They take comfort in the 
 thought, that vast numbers of persons turn to 
 God in their last illness, and are saved at the 
 eleventh hour. I will only remind such per- 
 sons, that all the experience of ministers is ut- 
 terly against the theory. People generally 
 die just as they have lived. True repentance 
 is never too late ; — ^but repentance deferred to 
 the last hours of life is seldom true. A man's 
 life is the surest evidence of his spiritual state, 
 and if lives are to be witnesses, then few are 
 likely to be saved. 
 
 I know well that many do not believe what 
 I am saying, because they fancy it contradicts 
 the tnercy of God. They dwell on the love 
 to sinners, which the Gospel reveals. They 
 point to the offers of pardon and forgiveness, 
 which abound in the Bible. They ask us if 
 we maintain, in the face of all this, that only 
 few people will be saved. I answer, I will go 
 as far as any one in exalting God's mercy in 
 Christ, but I cannot shut my eyes against the 
 fact, that this mercy profits no man, so long 
 
"shall you be saved?" 129 
 
 as it is wilfully refused. I see nothing want- 
 ing, on God's part, for man's salvation. I see 
 room in heaven for the chief of sinners. I see 
 willingness in Christ to receive the most un- 
 godly. I see power in the Holy Ghost to re- 
 new the most ungodly. But I see, on the 
 other hand, deperate unbelief in man : he will 
 not believe what God tells him in the Bible. 
 I see desperate pride in man : — he will not 
 bow his heart to receive the Gospel as a little 
 child. I see desperate sloth in man : — he will 
 not take the trouble to arise and call upon 
 God. I see desperate worldliness in man : — 
 he will not loose his hold on the poor perish- 
 able things of time, and consider eternity. In 
 short, see the words of our Lord continually 
 verified : — " Ye will not come unto me, that ye 
 might have life, " and therefore I am driven to 
 the sorrowful conclusion, that few are likely 
 to be saved. 
 
 I know well that many will not believe 
 what I am saying, because they refuse to ob- 
 serve the evil there is in the world. They 
 live in the midst of a little circle of good peo- 
 
 9 
 
130 "shall you be saved?" 
 
 pie. They know little of anything that goes 
 on in the world outside that circle. They tell 
 lis the world is a world which is rapidly im- 
 proving and going on to perfection. They 
 count upon their fingers the number of good 
 ministers whom they have heard and seen in 
 the last year. They call our attention to the 
 number of religious societies, and religious 
 meetings, to the money which is subscribed, 
 to the Bibles and tracts which are being con- 
 stantly distributed. They ask us, if we really 
 dare to say, in the face of all this, that few are 
 in the way to be saved. In reply, I will only 
 remind these amiable people, that there are 
 other people in the world besides their own 
 little circle, and other men and women, be- 
 sides the chosen few whom they know in their 
 own congregation. I entreat them to open 
 their eyes, and see things as they really are. I 
 assure them, there are things in this country 
 of ours of which they are at present in happy 
 ignorance. I ask them to sift any parish or 
 congregation in England, with the Bible, be- 
 fore they condemn me hastily. I tell them, if 
 
they will do this honestly, they will soon find 
 that I am not far wrong, when I say, that few 
 are likely to be saved. 
 
 I know well that many will not believe me, 
 because they think such a doctrine very nar- 
 row-minded and exclusive. I utterly deny 
 the charge. I disclaim any sympathy with 
 those Christians, who condemn everybody out- 
 side their communion, and appear to shut the 
 door of heaven against everybody who does 
 not see everything with their eyes. Whether 
 Roman Catholic, or Episcopalians, or Free- 
 churchmen, or Baptists, whosoever does any- 
 thing of this kind, I reckon him an exclusive 
 man. I have no desire to shut up the king- 
 dom of heaven against any one. All I say is, 
 that none will enter that kingdom, except con- 
 verted, believing, and holy souls, — and all I 
 take on me to assert is, that both the Bible 
 and facts combine to prove that such persons 
 are few. 
 
 I know well that many will not believe 
 what I am saying, because they think it a 
 gloomy, uncharitable doctrine. It is easy to 
 
132 "shall you be saved?" 
 
 make vague general assertions of this kind. 
 It is not so easy to show that any doctrine de- 
 serves to be called gloomy and uncharitable 
 which is scriptural and true. There is a spu- 
 rious charity, I am aware, which dislikes all 
 strong statements in religion, — a charity which 
 would have no one interfered with, — a charity 
 which would have every one let alone in his 
 sins, — a charity which, without evidence, 
 takes for granted that everybody is in a way 
 to be saved, — a charity which never doubts 
 that all people are going to heaven, and seems 
 to deny the existence of such a place as hell. 
 But such charity is not the charity of the New 
 Testament, and does not deserve the name. 
 Give me the charity which tries everything by 
 the light of the Bible, and believes nothing, 
 and hopes nothing, that is not sanctioned by 
 the Word. Give me the charity which is not 
 blind, and deaf, and stupid, but has eyes to 
 see, and senses to discern, between him that 
 feareth God, and him that feareth him not. 
 Such charity will rejoice in nothing but the 
 truth, and will confess with sorrow, that I tell 
 
"shall you be saved?" 133 
 
 nothing but the truth, when I say that few are 
 likely to be saved. 
 
 I know well that many will not believe me, 
 because they think it presumptuous to have 
 any opinion at all about the number of the 
 saved. But will these people dare to tell us 
 that the Bible has not spoken plainly as to the 
 character of saved souls ? And will they dare 
 to say that there is any standard of truth ex- 
 cept the Bible ? Surely there can be no pre- 
 sumption in asserting that which is agreeable 
 to the Bible. I tell them plainly, that the 
 charge of presumption does not lie at my door. 
 I say that he is the truly presumptuous man 
 who, when the Bible has said a thing clearly 
 and unmistakeably, refuses to receive it. 
 
 I know well that many will not believe me, 
 because they think my statement extravagant, 
 and unwarrantable. They regard it as a piece 
 of fanaticism, unworthy of the attention of a 
 rational man. They look on ministers who 
 make such assertions, as weak-minded persons, 
 and wanting in common sense. I can bear 
 such imputations unmoved. I only ask those 
 
who make them, to show me some plain proof 
 that they are right, and I am wrong. Let 
 them show me, if they can, that anybody is 
 likely to get to heaven, whose heart is not re- 
 newed, — who is not a believer in Jesus Christ, 
 — who is not a spiritual-minded and holy man. 
 IJet them show me, if they can, that people of 
 this description are many, compared with those 
 who are not. Let them, in one word, point us 
 to any place on eakth, where the great ma- 
 jority of the people are not ungodly, and the 
 truly godly are not a little flock. Let them 
 do this, and I will grant they have done right 
 to disbelieve what I have said. Till they do 
 this, I must maintain the sorrowful conclusion, 
 that few persons are likely to be saved. 
 
 And now, reader, it only remains to make 
 some practical application of the subject of 
 this tract. I have set before you the character 
 of saved people. I have shown you the pain- 
 ful delusion of the world, as to the number of 
 the saved. I have placed before you the evi- 
 dence of the Bible on the subject. I have 
 drawn from the world around you, plain facts 
 
" SHALL YOU BE SAVED ?" 135 
 
 in confirmation of the statements I have made. 
 May the Lord grant, that all these solemn 
 truths may not have been brought forward in 
 vain ! 
 
 I am quite aware that I have said many 
 things in this tract, which are likely to give 
 offence. I know it. It must be so. The 
 subject is far too searching to be otherwise 
 than offensive to some. But I have long had 
 a deep conviction, that the subject has been 
 painfully neglected, and that few things are so 
 little realized as the comparative number of 
 the lost and saved. All that I have written, 
 I have written because I firmly believe it to 
 be God's truth. All that I have said, I have 
 said, not as an enemy, but a lover of your 
 soul. You do not count him an enemy, who 
 gives you a little medicine to save your life. 
 You do not count him an enemy, who shakes 
 you roughly from your sleep, when your house 
 is on fire. Surely you will not count me an 
 enemy, because I tell you strong truths for the 
 benefit of your soul. Bear with me then, for 
 a few moments, while I say a few last words 
 
136 
 
 "shall you be saved?" 
 
 to impress the whole subject on your con- 
 science. 
 
 Are there few saved ? Then, reader, shall 
 you he one of the few? Oh! that you would 
 see that salvation is the one thing needful ! 
 Health, and riches, and titles, are not need- 
 ful things. A man may gain heaven without 
 them. But what shall the man do, who dies 
 not saved ? Oh ! that you would see that you 
 must have salvation now, in this present life, 
 and lay hold upon it for your own soul! Oh 1 
 that you would see that, saved or not saved, 
 is the grand question in religion ! High church 
 or low church, — churchman or dissenter, — all 
 these are trifling questions in comparison. 
 What a man^ needs to get to heaven is an 
 actual personal interest in Christ's salvation. 
 Surely if you are not saved, it will be better 
 at last never to have been born. 
 
 Are there few saved ? Then, reader, if you 
 are not one of the few already^ strive to he one with- 
 out delay. I know not who and what you are, 
 but I say boldly, come to Christ and you shall 
 be saved. The gate that leads to life may be 
 
"shall yotj be saved?' 
 
 137 
 
 strait, — 'but it was wide enough to admit Man- 
 asseh, and Saul of Tarsus, — and wliy not you ? 
 The way that leads to life may be narrow, but 
 it is marked by the footsteps of thousands of 
 sinners like yourself. All have found it a 
 good way. All have persevered, and got safe 
 home at last. Jesus Christ invites you. The 
 promises of the gospel encourage you ! Oh ! 
 Reader, strive to enter in without delay. 
 
 Are there few saved? Then, reader, if you 
 are doubtful whether you are one of the few ^ make 
 sure work at once, and he doubtful no more. 
 Leave no stone unturned, in order to ascertain 
 your own spiritual state. Be not content with 
 vague hopes and trusts. Rest not on warm 
 feelings and temporary desires after God. 
 Give diligence to make your calling and elec- 
 tion sure. Oh ! give me leave to say, that if 
 you are content to live on uncertain about sal- 
 vation, you live the maddest life in the world. 
 The fires of hell are before you, and you are 
 uncertain whether your soul is insured. This 
 world below must soon be left, and you are 
 uncertain whether you have a mansion pre- 
 
138 "shall you be saved?" 
 
 pared to receive you in the world to come. 
 The judgment will soon be set, and you are 
 uncertain whether you have an advocate to 
 plead your cause. Eternity will soon begin, 
 and you are uncertain whether you are pre- 
 pared to meet God ! Oh ! sit down this day, 
 and study the subject of salvation. Give God 
 no rest till uncertainty has disappeared, and 
 you have got hold of a reasonable hope that 
 you are saved. 
 
 Are there few that be saved ? Then, reader, 
 if you are one he a ihanhful man. Chosen and 
 called of God, while thousands around you are 
 sunk in unbelief, — seeing the kingdom of God, 
 while multitudes around you are utterly blind, 
 — delivered from this present evil world, while 
 crowds are overcome by its love and fear, — 
 taught to know sin, and God, and Christ, while 
 numbers, to all appearance as good as you, 
 live in ignorance and darkness, — Oh ! Reader, 
 you have reason every day to bless and praise 
 God. AVhence came this sense of sin, which 
 you now experience ? Whence came this love 
 of Christ, — this desire after holiness, — this 
 
■-1 
 
 "shall you be saved?" 139 
 
 hungering after righteousness, — this delight in 
 the Word ? Has not free grace done it, while 
 many a companion of your youth still knows 
 nothing about it, or has been cut off in his 
 sins ? Oh ! reader, you ought indeed to bless 
 God ! Surely Whitefield might well say, that 
 one anthem among the saints in heaven would 
 be, " Why me Lord ? — Why didst thou choose 
 me?" 
 
 Are there few that be saved? Then, Hea- 
 der, if you are one, do not wonder that you often 
 find yourself standing alone. I dare believe 
 you are sometimes almost brought to a stand- 
 still, by the corruption and wickedness that 
 you see in the world around you. You see 
 false doctrine abounding. You see unbelief 
 and ungodliness of every description. You 
 are sometimes tempted to say, " can I really 
 be in the right in my religion ? Can it really 
 be that all these people are in the wrong?" 
 Beware, reader, of giving way to thoughts like 
 these. Remember, you are only having prac- 
 tical proof of the truth of your Master's say- 
 ings. Think not that His purposes are being 
 
defeated. Thiak not that His work is not 
 going forward in the world. He is still taking 
 out a people to His praise. — He is still raising 
 up witnesses to himself, here and there, all 
 over the world. The saved will yet be found 
 to be a multitude that no man can number, 
 when all are gathered together at last. The 
 earth will yet be filled with the knowledge of 
 the Lord. All nations shall serve Him. All 
 kings shall yet delight to do Him honor. But 
 the night is not yet spent. The day of the 
 Lord's power is yet to come. In the mean- 
 time, all is going on as He foretold 1800 years 
 ago. Many are being lost and few saved. 
 
 Are there few saved? Then, reader, if you 
 are one^ do not he afraid of having too much re- 
 ligion. Settle it down in your mind, that you 
 will aim at the highest degree of holiness, and 
 spiritual-mindedness, — that you will not be con- 
 tent with any low degree of sanctification. Re- 
 solve that, by the grace of God, you will make 
 Christianity beautiful in the eyes of the world. 
 Remember, that the children of the world have 
 but few patterns of true religion before them. 
 
"shall you be saved?" 141 
 
 Endeavor, as far as in you lies, to make those 
 few patterns recommend the service of your 
 Master. Oh ! that every true Christian would 
 recollect that he is set as a light-house in the 
 midst of a dark world, and labor that every 
 part of him may reflect light, and no side be 
 dim ! 
 
 Are there few saved ? then, reader, if you are 
 one^ use every opportunity of trying to do good to 
 souls. Settle it down in your mind, that the 
 vast majority of people around you are in 
 awful danger of being lost forever. Work 
 every engine for bringing the Gospel to bear 
 upon them. Help every Christian machinery 
 for plucking brands from the burning. Give 
 liberally to every Society, that has for its ob- 
 ject to spread the everlasting Gospel. Throw 
 all your influence heartily and unreservedly 
 into the cause of doing good to souls. Live 
 like a man who thoroughly believes that time 
 is short, and eternity near, — the devil strong, 
 and sin abounding, — the darkness very great, 
 and the light very small, — the ungodly very 
 many, and the godly very few, — the things 
 
of the world mere transitory shadows, and 
 heaven and hell the great substantial realities, 
 — Alas! indeed for the lives that many be- 
 lievers live ! How cold are many, and how 
 frozen, — how slow to do decided things in re- 
 ligion, and how afraid of going too far, — how 
 backward to attempt anything new, — how 
 ready to discourage a good movement, how 
 ingenious in discovering reasons why it is best 
 to sit still, — how unwilling ever to allow that 
 the time for active exertion is come, — how 
 wise in finding fault, — how shiftless in devis- 
 ing plans to meet growing evils! Truly, a 
 man might sometimes fancy, when he looks at 
 the ways of many who are counted believers, 
 that all the world was going to heaven, and 
 hell were nothing but a lie. 
 
 Oh ! reader, beware of this state of mind. 
 Whether you like to believe it or not, hell is 
 filling fast, — Christ is daily holding out His 
 hand to a disobedient people, — many, many 
 are in the way to destruction, — few, few are in 
 the way to life. Many, many are likely to be 
 lost. Few, few are likely to be saved. 
 
Header, once more I ask you, shall you he 
 saved f If you are not saved already, my 
 heart's desire and prayer to God is, that you 
 may seek salvation without delay. If you are 
 saved, my desire is, that you may live like a 
 saved soul, — and like one who knows that 
 saved souls are few. 
 
 I remain. 
 
 Your affectionate Friend, 
 J. C. Kyle. 
 
 i -^ -.-- .„.^.-.. ^. ..■■.. .^ ^^ — ^^^ 
 
n 
 
 flto 'gtuiint %\n?" 
 
 " What is "written in the law ? Hew readest thou ?" 
 Luke x. 26. 
 
 Keader, 
 
 The question before your eyes is 1800 
 years old. It was asked by our Lord Jesus 
 Christ. It was asked concerning the Bible. 
 
 I invite you to consider this question. I 
 warn you, it is just as mighty and important 
 now as it was on the day when it came from 
 our Lord's lips. I want to apply it to the 
 conscience of every one who reads this tract, 
 and to knock at the door of his heart. I 
 would fain sound a trumpet in the ear of 
 every one who speaks English, and cry aloud, 
 " How readest thou ? Dost thou read the 
 Bible ?^' 
 
 Why do I hold this question to be of such 
 mighty importance? Why do I press it on 
 the notice of every man, as a matter of life 
 
"how EEADE3T THOU?" 145 
 
 and death ? Give me your attention for a 
 few minutes, and you shall see. Follow me 
 through the pages of this tract, and you shall 
 hear why I ask, "HOW KEADEST THOU? 
 ~DOST THOU BEAD THE BIBLE ?" 
 
 I. I ask, first of all, because there is no hnowl- 
 edge absolutely needful to a raavUs salvation, except 
 a knowledge of the things which are to he found in 
 the Bible. 
 
 We live in days when the words of Daniel 
 are fulfilled before our eyes : — " Many run to 
 and fro, and knowledge is increased." Schools 
 are multiplying on every side. New colleges 
 are set up. Old universities are reformed and 
 improved. New books are continually com- 
 ing forth. More is being taught, — more is be- 
 ing learned, — more is being read, than there 
 ever was since the world began. It is all well. 
 I rejoice at it. An ignorant population is a 
 perilous and expensive burden to any nation. 
 It is a ready prey to the first Absalom, or Cat- 
 aline, or Wat Tyler, or Jack Cade, who may 
 arise to entice it to do evil. But this I say, — • 
 10 
 
we must never forget, that all the education a 
 man's head can receive, will not save his soul 
 from hell, unless he knows the truths of the 
 Bible. 
 
 A man may have prodigious learning^ and yet 
 never he saved. He may be master of half the 
 languages spoken round the globe. He may 
 be acquainted with the highest and deepest 
 things in heaven and earth. He may have 
 read books till he is like a walking cyclopa3- 
 dia. He may be familiar with the stars of 
 heaven, — the birds of the air, — the beasts of 
 the earth, and the fishes of the sea. He may 
 be able to speak of plants, from the cedar of 
 Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on the wall. 
 He may be able to discourse of all the secrets 
 of fire, air, earth, and water. And yet, if he 
 dies ignorant of Bible truths, he dies a miser- 
 able man. Chemistry never silenced a guilty 
 conscience. Mathematics never healed a bro- 
 ken heart. All the sciences in the world never 
 smoothed down a dying pillow. No earthly 
 philosophy ever supplied hope in death. No 
 natural theology ever gave peace in the pros- 
 
 -U 
 
"how eeadest thou?" 14:7 
 
 pect of meeting a holy God. All these things 
 are of the earth, earthy, and can never raise 
 a man above the earth's level. They may en- 
 able a man to strut and fret his little season 
 here below with a more dignified gait than 
 his fellow-mortals, but they can never give 
 him wings, and enable him to soar towards 
 heaven. He that has the largest share of 
 them, will find at length that without Bible 
 knowledge he has got no lasting possession. 
 Death will make an end of all his attainments, 
 and after death they will do him no good 
 at all. 
 
 A man may he a very ignorant man, and yet 
 be saved. He may be unable to read a word, 
 or write a letter. He may know nothing of 
 geography b*eyond the bounds of his own par- 
 ish, and be utterly unable to say which is near- 
 est, Paris or New York. He may know no- 
 thing of arithmetic, and not see any difference 
 between a million and a thousand. He may 
 know nothing of history, not even of his own 
 land, and be quite ignorant whether his coun- 
 try owes most to Semiramis, Boadicea, or 
 
Queen Elizabeth. He may know nothing of 
 the affairs of his own times, and be incapable 
 of telling you whether the Chancellor of the 
 Exchequer, or the Commander-in-Chief, or the 
 Archbishop of Canterbury is managing the 
 national finances. He may know nothing of 
 science, and its discoveries, — and whether Ju- 
 lius Caesar won his victories with gunpowder, 
 or the apostles had a printing press, or the sun 
 goes round the earth, may be matters about 
 which he has not an idea. And yet if that 
 very man has heard Bible truth with his ears, 
 and believed it with his heart, he knows 
 enough to save his soul. He will be found at 
 last with Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, while 
 his scientific fellow-creature, who has died un- 
 converted, is lost forever. 
 
 Knowledge of the Bible, in short, is the one 
 knowledge that is needful. A man may get 
 to heaven without money, learning, health, or 
 friends, — but without Bible knowledge he will 
 never get there at all. A man may have the 
 mightiest of minds, and a memory stored with 
 all that a mighty mind can grasp, — and yet, if 
 
he does not know the things of the Bible, 
 he will make shipwreck of his soul forever. 
 Woe ! woe ! woe to the man who dies in igno- 
 rance of the Bible ! 
 
 Header, this is the book about which I am 
 addressing you to-daj. It is no light matter 
 what you do with such a book. It concerns 
 the life of your soul. I summon you, I charge 
 you to give an honest answer to my question. 
 A^at are you doing with the Bible? — Do you 
 read it ?— HOW KEADEST THOU ? 
 
 II. I ask, in the second place, because there 
 is no hook in existence written in such a manner 
 as the Bible. 
 
 The Bible is '' written by inspiration of God." 
 In this respect it is utterly unlike all other 
 writings. God taught the writers of it what 
 to say. God put into their mind thoughts and 
 ideas. God guided their pens in setting down 
 those thoughts and ideas. When you read it, 
 you are not reading the self-taught composi- 
 tions of poor imperfect men like yourself, but 
 the words of the eternal God. When you 
 
150 "how readest thou?" 
 
 hear it, you are not listening to the erring 
 opinions of short-lived mortals, but to the un- 
 changing mind of the King of kings. The 
 men who were employed to indite the Bible, 
 spoke not of themselves. They " spake as 
 they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Pet. 
 i. 21). 
 
 I shall not waste time by attempting any 
 long and labored proof of this. I say boldly, 
 that the book itself is the best witness of its 
 own inspiration. It is utterly inexplicable and 
 unaccountable in any other point of view. It 
 is the greatest standing miracle in the world. 
 He that dares to say the Bible is not inspired, 
 let him give a reasonable account of it, if he 
 can. Let him explain the history and charac- 
 ter of the book in a way that will satisfy any 
 man of common sense. The burden of proof 
 seems to my mind, to lie on him. 
 
 Here is a book, written by not less than 
 fifty different persons. The writers were men 
 of every rank and class in society. One was 
 a lawgiver. One was a warlike king. One 
 was a peaceful king. One was a herdsman. 
 
"how keadest thou?" 151 
 
 One had been brouglit "up as a publican, — an- 
 other as a physician, — another as a learned Pha- 
 risee, — two as fishermen, — several as priests. 
 Thej lived at different intervals, over a space 
 of 1500 years ; and the greater part of them 
 never saw each other face to face. And yet 
 there is a perfect harmony among all these 
 writers. They all write as if they were under 
 one dictation. The handwriting may vary, but 
 the mind that runs through their work is al- 
 ways one and the same. They all tell the same 
 story. They all give one account of man, — 
 one account of God, — one account of the way 
 of salvation, — one account of the heart. You 
 see truth unfolding under their hands, as you 
 go through the volume of their writings, — 
 but you never detect any real contradiction, 
 or contrariety of view. Tell us not that all 
 this might be the result of chance. The man 
 who can believe that^ must indeed be a credu- 
 lous person. There is only one satisfactory 
 account of the book. It was written under 
 the direct inspiration of God. 
 
 Here is a book that has been finished and be- 
 
fore the world for nearly 1800 years. These 
 1800 years have been the busiest and most 
 changeful period the world has ever seen. 
 During this period the greatest discoveries 
 have been made in science,— the greatest al- 
 terations in the ways and customs of society, 
 — the greatest improvements in the habits and 
 usages of life. Hundreds of things might be 
 named which satisfied and pleased our forefa- 
 thers, which we have laid aside long ago as 
 obselete, useless, and old-fashioned. The laws, 
 the books, the houses, the furniture, the clothes, 
 the carriages of each succeeding century, have 
 been a continual improvement on those of the 
 century that went before. There is hardly a 
 thing in which faults and weak points have 
 not been discovered. There is hardly an in- 
 stitution which has not gone through a process 
 of sifting, purifying, refining, simplifying, re- 
 forming, amending, and changing. But all 
 this time men have never discovered a weak 
 point or defect in the Bible. Infidels have 
 assailed it in vain. There it stands, — perfect, 
 and fresh, and complete, as it did eighteen 
 
"how eeadest thou?" 153 
 
 centuries ago. The marcli of intellect never 
 overtakes it. The wisdom of wise men never 
 gets beyond it. The science of philosophers 
 never proves it wrong. The discoveries of 
 travellers never convict it of mistakes. Are 
 the distant islands of the Pacific laid open ? — 
 Nothing is found that in the slightest degree 
 contradicts the Bible account of man's heart. 
 Are the ruins of Nineveh and Egypt ransack- 
 ed and explored ? — Nothing is found that 
 overturns one jot or tittle of the Bible's histor- 
 ical statements. Are the heathen in the re- 
 motest parts of the earth induced to give up 
 their idols ? — The Bible is found to meet the 
 wants of their consciences, as thoroughly as it 
 did those of Greeks and Eomans in the days 
 when it was first completed. It suits all ages, 
 ranks, climates, minds, conditions. It is the 
 one book which suits the world. How 
 shall we account for this ? What satisfactory 
 explanation can we give ? There is only one 
 account and one explanation. The Bible was 
 written by inspiration. It is the book of the 
 world, because He inspired it who formed the 
 
 , 
 
154: " HOW EEADEST THOU ?" 
 
 world, — who made all nations of one blood, — 
 and knows man's common nature. It is the 
 book for every heart, because He dictated it, 
 who alone knows all hearts and what all 
 hearts require. It is the book of "God. 
 
 Here is a book, which for sublimity, wis- 
 dom, and purity, is utterly unrivalled. No 
 other book in existence comes near it. There 
 is a style and tone of thought about it, which 
 separates it from all other writings. There 
 are no weak points, and motes, and flaws, 
 and blemishes. There is no mixture of in- 
 firmity and feebleness, such as you will find 
 in the works of even the best Christians. 
 "Holy, holy, holy," seems written on every 
 page. To talk of comparing the Bible with 
 the Koran, the Shasters, or the book of Mor- 
 mon, is positively absurd. You might as well 
 compare the sun with a rushlight, — or Mount 
 Blanc with a mole hill, — or St. Paul's with 
 an Irish hovel, — or the Portland vase with a 
 garden pot, — or the Koh-i-noor diamond with 
 a bit of glass. God seems to have allowed 
 the existence of these pretended revelations, 
 
"how eeadest THor?" 155 
 
 in order to prove the immeasurable superiority 
 of His own word. To talk of the inspiration 
 of the Bible, as only differing in degree from 
 that of such writings as the works of Emerson, 
 Gibbon, and Yoltaire, is simply a piece of 
 blasphemous folly. Every honest and unpre- 
 judiced reader must see that there is a gulf 
 between the Bible, and any other book, which 
 no man can fathom. You feel at turning from 
 the Scriptures to other works, that you have 
 got into a new atmosphere. You feel like 
 one who has exchanged gold for base metal, 
 and heaven for earth. And how can this 
 mighty difference be accounted for? The 
 men who wrote the Bible had no special ad- 
 vantages. They had, most of them, little 
 leisure, few books, and no learning, — such as 
 learning is reckoned in this world. Yet the 
 book they compose is one which is unrivalled ! 
 There is but one way of accounting for this. 
 They wrote under the direct inspiration of 
 God. 
 
 It proves nothing, against inspiratio'n, as 
 some have asserted, that the writers of the 
 
156 "how readest thou?" 
 
 Bible have each a different style. Isaiah does 
 not write like Jeremiah, and Paul does not 
 write like John. This is perfectly true — and 
 yet the works of these men are not a whit 
 less equally inspired. The waters of the sea 
 have many different shades. In one place 
 they look blue, and in another green. And 
 yet the difference is owing to the depth or 
 shallowness of the part we see, or to the na- 
 ture of the bottom. The water in every case 
 is the same salt sea. The breath of a man 
 may produce different sounds, according to 
 the character of the instrument on which lie 
 plays. The flute, the pipe, and the trumpet, 
 have each their peculiar note. And yet the 
 breath that calls forth the notes, is in each 
 case one and the same. The light of the 
 planets we seen in heaven, is very various. 
 Mars, and Saturn, and Jupiter, have each a 
 peculiar color. And yet we know that the 
 light of the sun, which each planet reflects, is 
 in each case one and the same. Just in the 
 same way, the books of the Old and New 
 Testaments are all inspired truth, and yet 
 
a 
 
 HOW READEST THOIT 5 
 
 2" 
 
 157 
 
 the aspect of that truth varies according to 
 the mind through which the Holy Ghost makes 
 it flow. The hand-writing and style of the 
 writers differ enough to prove that each had 
 a distinct individual being ; but the Divine 
 Guide who dictates and directs the whole is 
 always one. All is alike inspired. Every 
 chapter, and verse, and word, is from God. 
 
 Oh ! that men who are troubled with doubts, 
 and questionings, and sceptical thoughts 
 about inspiration, would calmly examine the 
 Bible for themselves ! Oh ! that they would 
 act on the advice "which was the first step 
 to Augustine's conversion, — " Take it up and 
 read it ! — take it up and read it." How 
 many Gordian knots this course of action 
 would cut ! How many difficulties and ob- 
 jections would vanish away at once like mist 
 before the rising sun ! How many would soon 
 confess, " The finger of God is here I God is 
 in this book, and I knew it not." 
 
 Reader, this is the book about which I ad- 
 dress you this day. Surely it is no light mat- 
 ter what you are doing with this book. It 
 
is no light thing that God should have caused 
 this book to be " written for your learning," 
 and that you should have before you ''the 
 oracles of God." I charge you, I summon 
 you to give an honest answer to my question. 
 What art thou doing with the Bible ? Dost 
 thou read it at all?— HOW EEADEST 
 THOU? 
 
 III. I ask, in the third place, because no 
 hook in existence contains such important matter 
 as the Bible. 
 
 The Bible handles subjects which are utterly 
 beyond the reach of man, when left to him- 
 self It treats of things that are invisible, — 
 the soul, — the world to come, — and eternity; 
 — subjects which man has no line to fathom. 
 All who have tried to write on these subjects, 
 without Bible light, have done little but show 
 their own ignorance. They grope like the 
 blind. They speculate. They conjecture. 
 They generally make the darkness more visi- 
 ble, and land us in a region of uncertainty 
 and doubt. How little did the wisest of the 
 
heathen know ! How dim were the views of 
 Solon, Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, Cicero, and 
 Seneca ! A well-taught Sunday-school child, 
 in the present day, knows more eternal truth 
 than all these sages put together. 
 
 The Bible alone describes the heginning and 
 end of the globe on luhich we live. It starts 
 from the birth-day of the sun, moon, stars, 
 and earth, and shows us creation in its cradle. 
 It foretells minutely the dissolution of all 
 things, — when the stars shall fall from their 
 places, and the earth, and all its works, shall 
 be burned up, — and shows us creation in its 
 grave. It tells us the story of the world's 
 youth, and it tells us the story of its old age. 
 It gives us the picture of its first days, and it 
 gives us the picture of its last. How vast 
 and important is this knowledge ! 
 
 The Bible alone gives a true and faithful 
 account of ma7i. It does not flatter him as 
 novels and romances do. It does not conceal 
 his faults and exaggerate his goodness. It 
 paints him just as he is. It describes him as 
 a fallen creature, very far gone from original 
 
160 
 
 (( 
 
 HOW KEADEST THOU 
 
 •2" 
 
 righteousness, and of his own nature inclined 
 to evil, — a creature needing not only a par- 
 don, but a new heart, to make him fit for 
 heaven. It shows him to be a corrupt being, 
 under every possible circumstance, when left 
 to himself; — corrupt after the loss of paradise, 
 — corrupt after the flood, — corrupt when 
 fenced in by laws and commandments, — cor- 
 rupt when the Son of God visited him as 
 manifest in the flesh, — corrupt in the face of 
 warnings, — corrupt in the face of miracles, — 
 corrupt in the face of judgments, — corrupt in 
 the face of mercies. In one word, — it shows 
 man to be by nature always a sinner. How 
 important is this knowledge ! 
 
 The Bible alone gives us true views of 
 God. By nature man knows nothing of Him. 
 All his conceptions and ideas of Him are 
 low, grovelling, and debased. What can be 
 more degraded than the gods of the Canaan- 
 ites, and Egyptians, — of Babylon, of Greece, 
 and of Kome ? AVhat can be more vile than 
 the gods of the Hindoos, and other heathens, 
 in our own times ? By the Bible we know 
 
"how READEST THOU?" 161 
 
 that God hates sin. The destruction of the 
 world by the flood, — the burning of Sodom 
 and Gomorrah, — the drowning of Pharaoh, 
 and the Egyptians in the Eed Sea, — the cutting 
 off of the nations of Canaan, — the overthrow 
 of Jerusalem and the temple, — the scattering 
 of the Jews ; — all these are unmistakable 
 witnesses. By the Bible we know that God 
 loves sinners. His gracious promise in the day 
 of Adam's fall, — His long-suffering in the 
 times of Noah, — His deliverance of Israel out 
 of the land of Egypt, — His gift of the lav/ at 
 Mount Sinai, — His bringing the tribes into 
 the promised land, — His forbearance in the 
 days of the judges and kings, — His repeated 
 warnings by the mouth of His prophets, — 
 His restoration of Israel, after the Babylonian 
 captivity, — His sending His Son into the 
 world, in due time, to be crucified, — His com- 
 manding the Gospel to be preached to the 
 Gentiles ; — all these are speaking facts. By 
 the Bible we learn that God knows all things. 
 We see Him foretelling things hundreds and 
 thousands of years before they take place, and 
 
 1) 
 
162 "how readest thou?" 
 
 as be foretells so it comes to pass. He fore- 
 told that the family of Ham should be a ser- 
 vant of servants, — that Tyre should become 
 a rock for drying nets, — that Nineveh should 
 become a desolation, — that Babylon should 
 be made a desert, — that Egypt should be 
 the basest of kingdoms, — and that the Jews 
 should not be reckoned among the nations. 
 All these thing were utterly unlikely. Yet 
 all have been fulfilled. Eeader, once more I 
 say, how important is this knowledge 1 
 
 The Bible alone teaches us that God has 
 made a full^ perfect^ and complete provision for 
 the salvation of fallen raan. It tells us of an 
 atonement made for the sin of the world, by 
 the sacrifice and death of God's own Son 
 upon the cross. It tells us that by His death 
 for sinners. He obtained eternal redemption 
 for all that believe on Him. The claims of 
 God's broken law have now been satisfied. 
 Christ has suffered for sin, the just for the 
 unjust. God can now be just, and yet the 
 justifier of the ungodly. It tells us that there 
 is now a complete remedy for the guilt of sin, 
 
— even tlie precious blood of Christ. Who- 
 soever believeth on Him shall not perish, but 
 have eternal life. It tells us that there is a 
 complete remedy for the power of sin, — even 
 the almighty grace of the Spirit of Christ. It 
 shows us the Holy Ghost quickening believers, 
 and making them new creatures. It promises 
 a new heart and a new nature to all who will 
 hear Christ's voice, and follow him. Eeader, 
 once more I say, how important is this knowl- 
 edge ! 
 
 The Bible alone explains the state of things 
 that we see in the world around us. There are 
 many things on earth which a natural man 
 cannot explain. The amazing inequality of 
 conditions, — the poverty and distress, — the 
 oppression and persecution, — the shakings 
 and tumults, — the failures of statesmen and 
 legislators, — the constant existence of uncured 
 evils and abuses, — all these things are often 
 puzzling to him. He sees, but does not un- 
 derstand. But the Bible makes it all clear. 
 The Bible can tell him that the whole world 
 lieth in wickedness, — that the prince of the 
 
world, the devil, is everywhere, and that it is 
 vain to look for perfection in the present order 
 of things. The Bible will tell him that neither 
 laws nor education can ever change men's 
 hearts, — and that just as no man will ever 
 make a machine work well, unless he allows 
 for friction, — so also no man will do much 
 good in the world, unless he always remem- 
 bers that the world he works in is full of sin. 
 The Bible will tell him that there is " a good 
 time" certainly coming, — and coming perhaps 
 sooner than people expect it, — a time of per- 
 fect knowledge, perfect justice, perfect hap- 
 piness, and perfect peace. But the Bible will 
 tell him this time shall not be brought in by 
 any power but that of Christ coming to earth 
 again. And for that second coming of Christ 
 the Bible will tell him to prepare. Oh ! reader, 
 how important is all this knowledge ! 
 
 But time would fail me, if I were to enter 
 fully into all the great things which the Bible 
 reveals. It is not by any sketch or outline 
 that the treasures of the Bible can be display- 
 ed. It would be easy to point out many other 
 
— 1 
 
 "how eeadest thou?" 165 
 
 things, besides those I have mentioned, and 
 yet the half of its riches would be left untold. 
 
 How comforting is the account it gives us 
 of the great mediator of the New Testament, 
 — the man Christ Jesus ! Four times over His 
 picture is graciously drawn before our eyes. 
 Four separate witnesses tell us of His miracles 
 and His ministry, — His sayings and His do- 
 ings, — His life and His death, — His power and 
 His love, — His kindness and His patience, — 
 His ways, His words, His works, His thoughts, 
 His heart. Blessed be God, there is one thing 
 in the Bible, the most prejudiced reader can 
 hardly fail to understand, and that is the char- 
 acter of Jesus Christ ! 
 
 How encouraging are the examples the 
 Bible gives us of good people ! It tells us of 
 many who were of like passions with our- 
 selves, — men and women who had cares, 
 crosses, families, temptations^ afflictions, dis- 
 eases, like ourselves, — and yet by faith and 
 patience inherited the promises, and got safe 
 home. It keeps back nothing in the history 
 of these people. Their mistakes, their infirm- 
 
 L_- 
 
ities, their conflicts, their experience, their 
 prayers, their praises, their useful lives, their 
 happy deaths, — all are fally recorded. And 
 it tells us the God and Saviour of these men 
 and women still waits to be gracious, and is 
 altogether unchanged. 
 
 How instructive are the examples the Bible 
 gives us of bad people ! It tells us of men 
 and women who had light, and knowledge, 
 and opportunities, like ourselves, and yet har- 
 dened their hearts, loved the world, clung to 
 their sins, would have their own way, despis- 
 ed reproof, and ruined their own souls forever. 
 And it warns us that the God who punished 
 Pharaoh, and Saul, and Ahab, and Jezebel, 
 and Judas, and Ananias and Sapphira, is a 
 God who never alters, and that there is a hell. 
 
 How precious are the promises which the 
 Bible contains for the use of those who love 
 God ! There is hardly any possible emergency 
 or condition for which it has not some word in 
 season. And it tells men that God loves to 
 be put in remembrance of these promises, and 
 
that if He has said He will do a thing, His 
 promise shall certainly be performed. 
 
 How blessed are the hopes which the Bible 
 holds out to the believer in Christ Jesus! 
 Peace in the hour of death, — rest and happi- 
 ness on the other side of the grave, — a glo- 
 rious body in the morning of the resurrection, 
 — a full and triumphant acquittal in the day 
 of judgment, — an everlasting reward in the 
 kingdom of Christ, — a joyful meeting with 
 the Lord's people in the day of gathering to- 
 gether ; — these, these are the future prospects 
 of every true Christian. They are all writ- 
 ten in the book, — in the book which is all 
 true. 
 
 How striking is the light which the Bible 
 throws on the character of man ! It teaches 
 us what men may be expected to be, and do, in 
 every position and station of life. It gives us 
 the deepest insight into the secret springs and 
 motives of human actions, and the ordinary 
 course of events under the control of human 
 agents. It is the true discerner of the thoughts 
 and intents of the heart. How deep is the 
 
168 "now READEST TIIOU ?" 
 
 wisdom contained in the books of Proverbs 
 and Ecclesiastes ! I can well understand an 
 old divine saying, " Give me a candle and a 
 Bible, and shut me up in a dark dungeon, and 
 I will tell you all that the whole world is 
 doing." 
 
 Header, all these are things which men could 
 find nowhere except in the Bible. We have 
 probably not the least idea how little we should 
 know about these things if we had not the 
 Bible. We hardly know the value of the air 
 we breathe, and the sun which shines on us, 
 because we have never known what it is to 
 be without them. We do not value the truths 
 on which I have been just now dwelling, be- 
 cause we do not realize the darkness of men 
 to whom these truths have not been revealed. 
 Surely no tongue can fully tell the value of 
 the treasures this one volume contains. Well 
 might old John Newton say that some books 
 were copper books in his estimation, some were 
 silver^ and some few were gold ; — but the Bible 
 alone was like a book all made up of hank 
 notes. 
 
HOW EEADEST THOU 
 
 2" 
 
 169 
 
 Think not for a moment that any part of 
 this precious book is not profitable. Think 
 not that such portions as catalogues and pedi- 
 grees, — as Leviticus, and the description of 
 Ezekiel's temple, — are useless and without 
 value. Believe me it is childish folly to ques- 
 tion the usefulness of any word in the Bible 
 merely because our eyes at present do not see 
 its use. 
 
 Come with me and look for a moment at the 
 book of nature, and I will soon show you 
 things of which you do not see the use. 
 
 Place yourself in imagination by the side of 
 an Australian gold-digging, and observe the 
 earth that is drawn up from its bottom. It 
 is likely that your unpractised eye will see no- 
 thing in that heap but rubbish, and dirt, and 
 stones. And yet that very heap of earth may 
 prove on washing to be full of particles of the 
 purest gold. It is just the same with the Bible. 
 We see but a little of it now. We shall find 
 hereafter that every word of it contained 
 gold. 
 
 Place yourself in imagination on the top of 
 
170 "how readest thou?" 
 
 some Highland mountain. Look at the minute 
 moss or lichen which clings to the side of that 
 mass of rock. Tell me if j^ou can what use 
 and purpose that lichen serves. The birds of 
 the air, the beasts of the field, the very in sects 
 leave it alone. The grouse, and ptarmigan, 
 and red deer draw no sustenance from it. The 
 rock does not require its covering. And yet 
 that minute lichen is as truly a part of God's 
 creation as the cedars of Lebanon, or the Vic- 
 toria Kegia of the South American rivers. 
 Place it under a microscope, and you will soon 
 see that like all other works of God it is 
 " very good," and full of beautiful design. 
 Settle it down in your mind, that as it is with, 
 the book of nature, so it is with the book of 
 Eevelation, the written Word of God. There 
 is not a chapter or verse from first to last, 
 which is not in some way profitable. If you 
 and I do not see its use, it is because we have 
 not eyes to see it yet. But all, we may rest 
 assured, is precious. All is very good. Well 
 said Bishop Jewell, " There is no sentence, no 
 clause, no word, no syllable, no letter, but it 
 
"now EEADEST THOU?" lYl 
 
 is written for tliy instruction. There is not 
 one jot, but it is signed and sealed with the 
 blood of the Lamb." 
 
 Eeader, this is the book about which I ad- 
 dress you this day. Surely it is no light mat- 
 ter what you are doing with it. It is no light 
 matter in what way you are using this treas- 
 ure. I charge you, I summon you to give 
 an honest answer to my question, — What art 
 thou doing with the Bible ? — Dost thou read 
 it?— HOAV EEADEST THOU? 
 
 TV. I ask in the fourth place, because no book 
 in existence has produced such wonderful effects on 
 manlcind at large as the Bible. 
 
 This is the book whose doctrines turned the 
 world upside down in the days of the apostles. 
 
 Eighteen centuries have now passed away 
 since God sent forth a few Jews from a remote 
 corner of the earth to do a work which ac- 
 cording to man's judgment must have seemed- 
 impossible. He sent them forth at a time 
 when the whole world was full of superstition, 
 cruelty, lust, and sin. He sent them forth to 
 
proclaim that the established religions of the 
 earth were false and useless, and must be for- 
 saken. He sent them forth to persuade men 
 to give up old habits and customs, and to live 
 different lives. He sent them forth to do bat- 
 tle with vested interests, with old associations, 
 with a bigoted priesthood, with sneering phil- 
 osophers, with an ignorant population, with 
 bloody-minded emperors, with the whole in- 
 fluence of Rome. Never was there an enter- 
 prise to all appearance more Quixotic, and less 
 likely to succeed 1 
 
 And how did He arm them for this battle? 
 He gave them no carnal weapons. He gave 
 them no worldly power to compel assent, and 
 no worldly riches to bribe belief He simply 
 put the Holy Ghost into their hearts, and the 
 Scriptures into their hands. He simply bade 
 them to expound and explain, to enforce and 
 to publish the doctrines of the Bible. The 
 preacher of Christianity in the first century 
 was not a man with a sword and an army, to 
 frighten people, like Mahomet, — or a man 
 with a license to be sensual, to allure people, 
 
like the priests of tlie shameful idols of Hin- 
 dostaD. No 1 he was nothing more than one 
 holy man with one holy book. 
 
 And how did these men of one book pros- 
 per ? In a few generations they entirely 
 changed the face of society by the doctrines 
 of the Bible. They emptied the temples of 
 the heathen gods. They famished idolatry, 
 or left it high and dry like a stranded ship. 
 They brought into the v/orld a higher tone of 
 morality between man and man. They raised 
 the character and position of woman. They 
 altered the standard of purity and decency. 
 They put an end to many cruel and bloody 
 customs, such as the gladiatorial fights. There 
 was no stopping the change. Persecution and 
 opposition were useless. One victory after 
 another was won. One bad thing after an- 
 other melted away. Whether men liked it or 
 not, they were insensibly affected by the move- 
 ment of the new religion, and drawn within 
 the whirlpool of its power. The earth shook, 
 and their rotten refuges fell to the ground. 
 The flood rose, and they found themselves ob- 
 
r 
 
 174 "how readp:st thou?" 
 
 liged to rise with it. The tree of Christianity 
 swelled and grew, and the chains they had 
 cast round it to arrest its growth, snapped like 
 tow. And all this was done by the doctrines 
 of the Bible ! Talk of victories indeed ! 
 What are the victories of Alexander, and 
 Csesar, and Marlborough, and Napoleon, and 
 Wellington, compared with those I have just 
 mentioned ? For extent, for completeness, 
 for results, for permanence, there are no vic- 
 tories like the victories of the Bible. 
 
 This is the book which turned Europe upside 
 down in the days£)f the Protestant Eeformation. 
 No man can read the history of Christendom 
 as it was five hundred years age, and not see 
 that darkness covered the whole professing 
 church of Christ, even a darkness that might 
 be felt. So great was the change that had 
 come over Christianity, that if an apostle had 
 risen from the dead he would not have recog- 
 nized it, and would have thought that heathen- 
 ism had revived again. . The doctrines of the 
 Gospel lay buried under a dense mass of human 
 traditions. Penances, and pilgrimages, and in- 
 
"how eeadest thou?" 175 
 
 dulgences, relic-worship, and image- worship, 
 and saint-worship, and worship of the Virgin 
 Mary, formed the sum and substance of most 
 people's religion. The church was made an 
 idol. The priests and ministers of the church 
 ■usurped the place of Christ. And by what 
 means was all this miserable darkness cleared 
 away ? By none so much as by bringing 
 forth once more the Bible. 
 
 It was not merely the preaching of Luther 
 and his friends, which established Protestant- 
 ism in Germany. The grand lever which 
 overthrew the Pope's power in that country, 
 was Luther's translation of the Bible into the 
 German tongue. It was not merely the writings 
 of Cranmer and the English Reformers which 
 cast down popery in England. The seeds of 
 the work thus carried forward were first sown 
 by Wyclifife's translation of the Bible many 
 years before. It was not merely the quarrel 
 of Henry VIII. and the Pope of Rome, which 
 loosened the Pope's hold on English minds. 
 It was the royal permission to have the Bible 
 translated and set up in churches, so that every 
 
one who liked might read it. Yesl it was 
 the reading and circulation of Scripture which 
 mainly established the cause of Protestantism 
 in England, in Germany, and Switzerland. 
 Without it the people would probably have 
 returned to their former bondage when the 
 first reformers died. But by reading of the 
 Bible the public mind became gradually 
 leavened with the principles of true religion. 
 Men's eyes became thoroughly open. Their 
 spiritual understandings became thoroughly 
 enlarged. The abominations of popery be- 
 came distinctly visible. The excellence of the 
 pure Gospel became a rooted idea in their 
 hearts. It was then in vain for Popes to thun- 
 der forth excommunications. It was useless 
 for kings and queens to attempt to stop the 
 course of Protestantism by fire and sword. It 
 was all too late. The people knew too much. 
 They had seen the light. They had heard 
 the joyful sound. They had tasted the truth. 
 The sun had risen on their minds. The scales 
 had fallen from their eyes. The Bible had 
 done its appointed work within them, and that 
 
work was not to be overthrown. The people 
 would not return to Egypt. The clock could 
 not be put back again. A mental and moral 
 revolution had been effectgjd, and mainly effect- 
 ed by God's Word. Oh! reader, those are 
 the true revolutions which the Bible effects. 
 What are all the revolutions recorded by Yer- 
 tot ; what are all the revolutions which France 
 and England have gone through, compared to 
 these ? No revolutions are so bloodless, none 
 so satisfactory, none so rich in lasting results, 
 as the revolutions accomplished by the Bible ! 
 This is the book on which the well-being of 
 nations has always hinged, and with which the 
 interests of every nation in Christendom at this 
 moment are inseparably bound up. Just in 
 proportion as the Bible is honored or not, 
 light or darkness, morality or immorality, true 
 religion or superstition, liberty or despotism, 
 good laws or bad, will be found in a land. 
 Come with me and open the pages of history, 
 and you will read the proofs in time past. 
 Bead it in the history of Israel under the 
 kings. How great was the wickedness that 
 
then prevailed ! But who can wonder ? The 
 law of the Lord had been completely lost sight 
 of, and was found in the days of Josiah in a 
 corner of the templ«. — Eead it in the history 
 of the Jews in our Lord Jesus Christ's time. 
 How awful the picture of Scribes and Phari- 
 sees, and their religion ! But who can won- 
 der ? The Scripture was made void by man's 
 traditions. — Read it in the history of the church 
 of Christ in the middle ages. What can be 
 worse than the accounts we have of ignorance 
 and superstition? But who can wonder? 
 The times might well be dark, when men had 
 not the light of the Bible. 
 
 Come with me next and look at the map of 
 the world, and see what a tale it tells ! Which 
 are the countries where the greatest amount of 
 ignorance, superstition, immorality, and tyran- 
 ny is to be found at this very moment ? The 
 countries in which the Bible is a forbidden or 
 neglected book, — such countries as Italy, and 
 Spain, and the South American States. Which 
 are the countries where liberty, and public and 
 private morality have attained the highest 
 
pitch ? The countries where the Bible is free 
 to all, like England, Scotland, and the United 
 States. Yes ! when you know how a nation 
 deals with the Bible, you may generally know 
 what a nation is. Oh ! that the rulers of some 
 nations did but know that a free Bible is 
 the grand secret of national prosperity, and 
 that the surest way to make subjects orderly 
 and obedient, is to allow a free passage to the 
 living waters of God's Word ! Oh ! that the 
 people of some countries did but see that a 
 free Bible is the beginning of all real freedom, 
 and that the first liberty they should seek 
 after, is liberty for the apostles and prophets, 
 — liberty to have a Bible in every house, and 
 a Bible in every hand ! Well said Bishop 
 Hooper, " God in heaven and the king on 
 earth have no greater friend than the Bible." 
 It is a striking fact, that when British Sover- 
 eigns are crowned, they are publicly presented 
 with the Bible, and told, "This book is the 
 ■ most valuable thing this world affords." 
 
 This is the book which at this moment is 
 producing the mightiest moral and spiritual 
 
180 "how readest thou?" 
 
 effects througliout the world. This is the 
 secret of the wonderful success which attends 
 the London City Mission, and the Irish Church 
 Missions. This is the true account of that 
 amazing move toward Protestantism which 
 has lately taken place in several departments 
 of France. Which are the cities of the earth 
 where the fewest soldiers and police are re- 
 quired to keep order ? — London, Manchester, 
 Liverpool, New York, — cities which are de- 
 luged with Bibles. Which are the churches 
 on earth which are producing the greatest 
 effect on mankind ? The churches in which 
 the Bible is exalted. Which are the parishes 
 in England and Scotland where religion and 
 morality have the strongest hold ? The parish- 
 es in which the Bible is most circulated and 
 read. Who are the ministers in England who 
 have the most real influence over the minds of 
 the people ? Not those who are ever crying 
 " Church ! Church !" but those who are faith- 
 fully preaching the Word. Ah ! reader, a 
 church which does not honor the Bible, is as 
 useless as a body without life, or a steam en- 
 
"how eeadest thou'?" 181 
 
 gine witlaout fire. A minister who does not 
 honor the Bible, is as useless as a soldier with- 
 out arms, a builder without tools, a pilot with- 
 out compass, or a messenger without tidings. 
 It is cheap and easy work for Eoman Catho- 
 lics, Neologians, and friends of secular educa- 
 tion, to sneer at those who love the Bible. 
 But the Eomanist, the Neologian, and the 
 friends of mere secular education, have never 
 yet shown us one New Zealand, one Tinne- 
 velly, one Sierra Leone as the fruit of their 
 principles. We only can do that who honor 
 the Bible, and we say these are the works of 
 the Word, and the proofs of its power. 
 
 This is the book to which the civilized world 
 is indebted for many of its best and most 
 praise-worthy institutions. Few probably are 
 aware how many are the good things that men 
 have adopted for the public benefit, of which 
 the origin may be clearly traced up to the 
 Bible. It has left lasting marks wherever it 
 has been received. From the Bible are drawn 
 many of the best laws by which society is kept 
 in order. From the Bible has been obtained 
 
the standard of morality about truth, honesty, 
 and the relations of man and wife, which pre- 
 vails among Christian nations, and which, — 
 however feebly respected in many cases, — 
 makes so great a difference between Christians 
 and heathens. To the Bible we are indebted 
 for that most merciful provision for the poor 
 man, the Sabbath day. To the influence of 
 the Bible we owe nearly every humane and 
 charitable institution in existence. The sick, 
 the poor, the aged, the orphan, the lunatic, the 
 idiot, the blind, were seldom or never thought 
 of before the Bible leavened the world. You 
 may search in vain for any record of institu- 
 tions for their aid in the histories of Athens 
 or of Eome. Ah ! reader, many sneer at the 
 Bible, and say the world would get on well 
 enough without it, who little think how great 
 are their own obligations to the Bible. Little 
 does the infidel think as he lies sick in some 
 of our great hospitals, that he owes all his 
 present comforts to the very book he affects to 
 despise. Had it not been for the Bible, he 
 might have died in misery, uncared for, un- 
 
 . t 
 
noticed, and alone. Yerily the world we live 
 in is fearfully unconscious of its debts. The last 
 day alone, I believe, will tell the fall amount 
 of benefit conferred upon it by the Bible. 
 
 Eeader, this wonderful book is the subject 
 about which I address you this da}^ Surely 
 it is no light matter what you are doing with 
 the Bible. The swords of conquering generals, 
 — the ship in which Nelson led the fleets of 
 England to victory, — ^the hydraulic press which 
 raised the tubular bridge at the Menai ; — each 
 and all of these are objects of interest as in- 
 struments of mighty power. The book I speak 
 of this day is an instrument a thousand-fold 
 mightier still. Surely it is no light matter 
 whether you are paying it the attention it de- 
 serves. I charge you, I summon you to give 
 me an honest answer this day, — What art thou 
 doing with the Bible ? — Dost thou read it ? 
 HOW EEADEST THOU? 
 
 V. I ask in the fifth place, because no hook 
 in existence can do so much for every one who 
 reads it rightly^ as the Bible. 
 
184 *'nOW EEADEST THOU?" 
 
 The Bible does not profess to teach the wis- 
 dom of this world. It was not written to ex- 
 plain geology or astronomy. It will neither 
 instruct you in mathematics, nor in natural 
 philosohpy. It will not make you a doctor, 
 or a lawyer, or an engineer. 
 
 But there is another world to be thought of, 
 beside that world in which man now lives. 
 There are other ends for which man was crea- 
 ted, beside making money and working. There 
 are other interests which he is meant to attend 
 to, beside those of his body ; and those interests 
 are the interests of his soul. It is the interests 
 of the immortal soul which the Bible is especi- 
 ally able to promote. If you would know 
 law, you may study Blackstone or Sugden. 
 If you would know astronomy or geology, 
 you may study Herschel and Buckland. But 
 if you would know how to have your soul 
 saved, you must study the written Word of 
 God. 
 
 Header, the Bible is '' able to make a man 
 wise unto salvation^ through faith which is in 
 Christ Jesusy It can show you the way 
 
which leads to heaven. It can teach you 
 everything you need to know, point out every- 
 thing you need to believe, and explain every- 
 thing you need to do. It can show you what 
 you are, — a sinner. It can show you what 
 God is, — ^perfectly holy. It can show you the 
 great giver of pardon, peace, and grace, — 
 Jesus Christ I have read of an Englishman 
 who visited Scotland in the days of Blair, 
 Eutherford, and Dickson, three famous preach- 
 ers, — and heard all three in succession. He 
 said that the first showed him the majesty of 
 God, — the second showed him the beauty of 
 Christ, — and the third showed him all his heart 
 It is the glory and beauty of the Bible, that 
 it is always teaching these three things more 
 or less, from the first chapter of it to the last. 
 The Bible, applied to the heart by the Holy 
 Ghost, is the grand instrument hy which souls 
 are first converted to God, That mighty change 
 is generally begun by some text or doctrine 
 of the Word, brought home to a man's con- 
 science. In this way the Bible has worked 
 moral miracles by thousands. It has made 
 
drunkards become sober, — uncbaste people 
 become pure, — thieves become honest, — and 
 violent-tempered people become meek. It 
 has wholly altered the course of men's lives. 
 It has caused their old things to pass away, 
 and made all their ways new. It has taught 
 worldly people to seek first the kingdom of 
 God. It has taught lovers of pleasure to be- 
 come lovers of God. It has taught the stream 
 of men's affections to run upwards instead of 
 running downwards. It has made men think 
 of heaven, instead of always thinking of 
 earth, and life by faith, instead of living by 
 sight. All this it has done in every part of 
 the world. All this it is doing still. What 
 are the Eomish miracles which weak men be- 
 lieve, compared to all this, even if they were 
 true? Those are the truly great miracles 
 which are yearly worked by the Word. 
 
 The Bible, applied to the heart by the Holy 
 Ghost, is the chief means hy which men are 
 built up and established in the faith, after their 
 conversion. It is able to cleanse them, to 
 sanctify them, to instruct them in righteous- 
 
•--1 
 
 "how EE^iDEST THOU?" 187 
 
 ness, and to furnish them thoroughly for all 
 good works. The Spirit ordinarily does 
 these things by the written Word ; sometimes 
 by the Word read, and sometimes by the 
 Word preached, but seldom, if ever, without 
 the Word. The Bible can show a believer 
 how to walk in this world so as to please 
 God. It can teach him how to glorify Christ 
 in all the relations of life, and can make 
 him a good master, servant, subject, husband, 
 father, or son. It can enable him to bear 
 afflictions and privations without murmuring, 
 and say, " It is well." It can enable him to 
 look down into the grave, and say, " I fear 
 no evil." It can enable him to think on judg- 
 ment and eternity, and not feel afraid. It can 
 enable him to bear persecution without flinch- 
 ing, and to give up liberty and life rather than 
 deny Christ's truth. Is he drowsy in soul? — ■ 
 It can awaken him. Is he mourning? — It 
 can comfort him. Is he erring? — It can 
 restore him. Is he weak ? — It can make him 
 strong. Is he in company ? — It can keep him 
 from evil. Is he alone? — It can talk with 
 
188 "how eeadest thou?" 
 
 him. All this the Bible can do for all be- 
 lievers, — for the least as well as the greatest, 
 — for the richest as well as the poorest. It 
 has done it for thousands already, and is doing 
 it for thousands every day. 
 
 Eeader, the man who has the Bible, has 
 everything which is absolutely needful to 
 make him spiritually wise. He needs no priest 
 to break the bread of life for him. He needs no 
 ancient traditions, no writing of the fathers, 
 no voice of the church, to guide him into all 
 truth. He has the well of truth open before 
 him, and what can he want more? Yes I 
 though he be shut up alone in a prison, or 
 cast on a desert island, — though he never see 
 a church, or minister, or sacrament again, — if 
 he has but the Bible, he has got the infallible 
 guide, and wants no other. If he has but the 
 will to read that Bible rightly, it shall cer- 
 tainly teach him the road that leads to heav- 
 en. It is here alone that infallibility resides. 
 It is not in the church. It is not in the 
 councils. It is not in ministers. It is only 
 in the written Word. 
 
"PIOW EEADEST THOU?" 189 
 
 I know well that many say that they have 
 found no saving power in the Bible. They 
 tell ns they have tried to read it, and have 
 learned nothing from. it. They can see in it 
 nothing but hard and deep things. They ask 
 us what we mean by talking of its power. 
 
 I answer that the Bible no doubt contains 
 hard things, or else it would not be the book 
 of God. It contains things hard to compre- 
 hend, but only hard because we have not 
 grasp of mind to comprehend them. It con- 
 tains things above our reasoning powers, but 
 nothing that might not be explained, if the 
 eyes of our understanding were not feeble 
 and dim. But is not an acknowledgment of 
 our own ignorance the very corner-stone and 
 foundation of all knowledge? Must not 
 many things be taken for granted in the 
 beginning of every science, before we can 
 proceed one step towards acquaintance with 
 it ? Do we not require our children to learn 
 many things of which they cannot see the 
 meaning at first? And ought we not then 
 to expect to find deep things when we begin 
 
studying the Word of God, and yet to believe 
 that if we persevere in reading it, the mean- 
 ing of many of them will one day be made 
 clear ? No doubt we ought so to expect, and 
 so to believe. We must read with humility. 
 We must take much on trust. We must be- 
 lieve that what we know not now, we shall 
 know hereafter, some part in this world, and 
 all in the world to come. 
 
 But I ask that man who has given up read- 
 ing the Bible, because it contains hard things, 
 whether he did not find many things in it 
 easy and plain? I put it to his conscience, 
 whether he did not see great landmarks and 
 principles in it all the way through ? I ask 
 him whether the things needful to salvation 
 did not stand out boldly before his eyes, like 
 the light-houses on English headlands from 
 the Land's-end to the mouth of the Thames. 
 What should we think of the captain of a 
 steamer, who brought up at night in the en- 
 trance of the Channel, on the plea that he did 
 not know every parish, and village, and creek, 
 along the British coast ? Should we not think 
 
him a lazy coward, when the lights on the 
 Lizard, the Eddystone, and the Stark, and 
 Portland, and St. Catherine's, and Beachy 
 Head, and Dungeness, and the Forelands, 
 were shining forth like so many lamps, to 
 guide him up to the river ? Should we not 
 say, why did you not steer by the great lead- 
 ing lights ? And what ought we to say to the 
 man who gives up reading the Bible, because 
 it contains hard things, when his own state, 
 and the path to heaven, and the way to serve 
 God, are all written down clearly and unmis- 
 takably, as with a sunbeam? . Surely we 
 ought to tell that man, that his objections are 
 no better than lazy excuses, and do not de- 
 serve to be heard. 
 
 I know well that many raise the objection, 
 that thousands read the Bible, and are not a 
 whit the better for their reading. And they 
 ask us, when this is the case, what becomes of 
 the Bible's boasted power? 
 
 I answer, that the reason why so many read 
 the Bible without benefit is plain and simple, 
 — they do not read it in the right way. There 
 
192 "how readest thof'?" 
 
 is generally a right way and a wrong way of 
 doing everything in the world ; and just as it 
 is with other things, so it is in the matter of 
 reading the Bible. The Bible is not so en- 
 tirely different from all other Books, as to 
 make it of no importance in what spirit and 
 manner you read it. It does not do good, as 
 a matter of course, by merely running our 
 eyes over the print, any more than the sacra- 
 ments do good by mere virtue of our receiving 
 them. , It does not ordinarily do good, unless 
 it is read with humility and earnest prayer. 
 The best steam-engine that was ever built, is 
 useless if a man does not know how to work 
 it. The best sun-dial that was ever con- 
 structed, will not tell its owner the time of 
 day, if he is so ignorant as to put it up in 
 the shade. Just as it is with that steam-en- 
 gine, and that sun-dial, so it is with the Bible. 
 When men read it without profit, the fault is 
 not in the hooh^ hut in themselves. 
 
 I tell the man who doubts the power of 
 the Bible, because many read it, and are no 
 better for the reading, that the abuse of a 
 
''HOW READEST THOU?" 193 
 
 thing is no argument against the use of it. I 
 tell him boldlj, that never did man or woman 
 read that book in a child-like persevering 
 spirit, — like the Ethiopian eunuch, and the 
 Bereans, — and miss the way to heaven. Yes ! 
 many a broken cistern will be exposed to 
 shame in the day of judgment, but there will 
 not rise up one soul who will be able to say, 
 that he went thirsting to the Bible, and found 
 in it no living water, — he searched for truth 
 in the Scriptures, and searching did not find 
 it. The words which are spoken of Wisdom 
 in the Proverbs, are strictly true of the Bible : 
 " If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest 
 up thy voice, for understanding ; If thou seek- 
 est her as silver, and searchest for her as for 
 hid treasures ; Then shalt thou understand 
 the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge 
 of God." (Prov. ii; 8, 4, 5.) 
 
 Eeader, this wonderful book is the subject 
 about whi(fii I address you this day. Surely 
 it is no light matter what you are doing with 
 the Bible. What should you think of the 
 man, who in time of cholera despised a sure 
 
 13 
 
194 "how keadest thou?" 
 
 receipt for preserving the health of his body ? 
 What must be thought of you, if you despise 
 the only sure receipt for the everlasting health 
 of your soul ? I charge you, I entreat you, 
 to give an honest answer to my question. 
 What dost thou do with the Bible? — Dost 
 thou read it?— HOW EEADEST THOU? 
 
 VI. I ask in the sixth place, because no 
 gift of God to man is so awfully neglected and 
 misused as the Bible, 
 
 Man has an unhappy skill in abusing God's 
 gifts. His privileges, and power, and faculties, 
 are all ingeniously perverted to other ends 
 than those for which they were bestowed. 
 His speech, his imagination, his intellect, his 
 strength, his time, his influence, his money, — 
 instead of being used as instruments for glo- 
 rifying his Maker, — are generally employed 
 for his own selfish ends. And just as man 
 naturally makes a bad use of his ♦other mer- 
 cies, so he does of the written Avord. One 
 sweeping charge may be brought against the 
 
"how eeadest thou?'' 
 
 195 
 
 whole of Christendom, and that charge is 
 neglect and abuse of the Bible. 
 
 Eeader, I know that this charge sounds aw- 
 ful. Listen to me, and I will give you proofs 
 to substantiate it. Awful as it is, it is sadly 
 true. 
 
 It is true of the Eoman Catholic Church, 
 from one end of the world to the other. For 
 six hundred years that unhappy church has 
 waged open war with the Bible, and has la- 
 bored incessantly to prevent people reading it. 
 By a rule deliberately passed in the great 
 council of Trent, — by the bulls of Popes, — by 
 the encyclical letters of Eomish bishops, — by 
 the repeated open hostility of Eomish priests, 
 — the views of the Church of Eome on this 
 subject have been made fully manifest. Of all 
 the numerous and soul-ruining errors of which 
 the Church of Eome is guilty, none is more 
 mischievous and productive of evil than its 
 treatment of the Bible. 
 
 It is truly fearful to consider how thorough- 
 ly at variance God and the Church of Eome 
 are about the Bible. The Lord God has de- 
 
 -j 
 
196 "how eeadest thou?" 
 
 clared positively, that Holy Scripture is " pro- 
 fitable," — that it is " given for our learning," 
 — that it is " able to make men wise unto 
 salvation," — that it is "the sword" which a 
 soldier of Christ should be armed with, — that 
 it is " a light for our feet," — and that all er- 
 rors arise from ignorance of it. The Church 
 of Eome, on the other hand, has declared pos- 
 itively, in the council of Trent, that " If the 
 Holy Scripture be everywhere allowed indis- 
 criminately in the vulgar tongue, more harm 
 than good will arise from it," — and that "If 
 any one shall presume to read, or possess, a 
 Bible, without a license, he shall not receive 
 absolution, except he first deliver it up !" A 
 license to read the Bible ! What a blasphe- 
 mous insult is this ! It would sound as well to 
 talk of a license to breathe God's air, or look 
 at God's sun. Well may the Church of Eome 
 be in gross darkness, when it pours such con- 
 tempt on the written word. 
 
 It is useless to assert, as some do, that state- 
 ments such as these are not correct. It is use- 
 less to tell us that Bibles are openly paraded 
 
for sale in Eoman Catholic shop ^vindows, in 
 English towns. The Church of Eome dares 
 not show itself yet in its true colors in Eng- 
 land. It winks at practices contrary to its 
 avowed principles, because it suits its purpose 
 to do so. It throws dust in the eyes of sim- 
 ple people, by the appearance of toleration ; 
 and so blinds them to its real character. But 
 the Church of Kome at heart is always the 
 same. 
 
 Ask any one who has lived in countries on 
 the Continent, where the power of the Pope 
 is unrestrained, and see what he will tell you. 
 Ask any one, especially, who has lived in Italy, 
 and been at Eome, and seen Eoman Catholic 
 religion in fall bloom, and mark what kind of 
 account he will give you. If a man would 
 know what real, pure Presbyterianism is, he 
 must go to Scotland, If he would know what 
 real, pure Church-of-Englandism is, he must 
 visit England. If he would know what real, 
 pure, genuine Eomanism is, he should go to 
 Italy and Eome. 
 
 Is it not a fact^ that to have or read an Ital- 
 
ian Bible is one of the highest crimes an Ital- 
 ian can commit ? lie may commit adultery 
 and fornication, — he may stab, or lie, or rob, 
 or swear, or cheat, — and get absolution from 
 his priest without much difficulty. But woe 
 be to the Italian who dares to have or read 
 God's holy word ! That fact speaks volumes. 
 Let that fact be thoroughly known all over 
 the world. 
 
 Is it not a fact, that the Bible itself cannot 
 be bought at Rome, unless with immense diffi- 
 culty, and at an immense price ? You may 
 buy books of many other kinds and descrip- 
 tions, — • worthless French novels, — frivolous 
 Italian poetry, — miserable lying accounts of 
 pretended miracles, done by pretended saints, 
 — prayers to the Virgin Mary, and all manner 
 of literary rubbish. You may buy poisons, 
 daggers, or intoxicating drinks. You may 
 buy relics, and rosaries, and scapulars, and 
 crucifixes. You may buy masses and services, 
 and redeem your father's soul from purgatory. 
 But one thing it is almost impossible to buy, 
 and that is the one thing needful, — the writ- 
 
"how readest thou?" 199 
 
 ten word of God. You may easily buy all 
 means and appliances for doing the works of 
 darkness. You cannot buy the grand help 
 for doing the works of light, except at an en- 
 ormous cost. That fact alone speaks volumes. 
 Oh ! that the world would awake, and know 
 it ! THE BIBLE IS PEACTICALLY A 
 FORBIDDEN BOOK AT ROME. 
 
 Ah ! reader, it is an awful thought, that all 
 these insults to the Bible are perpetrated in 
 the name of Christianity ! It is an awful 
 thought, that a day of reckoning is yet to 
 come, and that God the Judge of all is just as 
 jealous about His word, as about His name 
 and day ! It is an awful thought, that even 
 the Emperor of China will rise up in judgment 
 with the Pope, and condemn him ; for he has 
 lately decreed that the New Testament is a 
 profitable book, and may be read ! It is an 
 awful thought, that this Bible - proscribing 
 Church of Rome contains more members than 
 any Church in the world ! Surely I have a 
 right to say, no gift of God is so neglected 
 and misused as the Bible. 
 
But the Churcli of Rome, unhappily, is not 
 the only professedly Christian Church whose 
 members are guilty in this matter. The charge 
 of neglecting the Bible is one which may be 
 brought home to the members of Protestant 
 churches also, and among others to the Pro- 
 testants of England and Scotland in the pre- 
 sent day. 
 
 I write this statement down with sorrow. 
 I dare say it will be received by some with 
 surprise, if not with incredulity. But I write 
 it down calmly and deliberately, and I am cer- 
 tain it is true. 
 
 I am well aware that there are more Bibles 
 in Great Britain at this moment than there 
 ever were since the world began. There is 
 more Bible buying and Bible selling, — more 
 Bible printing and Bible distributing, — than 
 ever was since England was a nation. We 
 see Bibles in every bookseller's shop, — Bibles 
 of every size, price, and style, — Bibles great, 
 and Bibles small, — Bibles for the rich, and 
 Bibles for the poor. But all this time I fear 
 we are in danger of forgetting, that to have 
 
the Bible is one thing, and to read it is quite 
 another. 
 
 I am firmly persuaded that the Bible of 
 many a man and woman in Great Britain is 
 never read at all. In one house it lies in a cor- 
 ner, stiff, cold, glossy, and fresh as it was when 
 it came from the bookseller's shop. In an- 
 other it lies on a table, with its owner's name 
 written in it, — a silent witness against him day 
 after day. In another it lies on some high 
 shelf, neglected and dusty, to be brought down 
 only on grand occasions, — such as a birth in 
 the family, — like a heathen idol at its yearly 
 festival. In another it lies deep down at the 
 bottom of some box or drawer, — among the 
 things not wanted, — and is never "dragged 
 forth into the light of day, until the arrival of 
 sickness, the doctor, and death. Ah 1 these 
 things are sad and solemn. But they are 
 true. 
 
 I am firmly persuaded that many in Great 
 Britain who read the Bible, do not read it aright. 
 One man looks over a chapter on Sunday even- 
 ing, — but that is all. Another reads a chapter 
 
every day to his servants at family prayers, 
 — but that is all. A third goes a step further, 
 and hastily reads a verse or two in private 
 every morning, before he goes out of his house. 
 A fourth goes further still, and reads as much 
 as a chapter or two every day, though he does 
 it in a great hurry, and omits it on the small- 
 est pretext. But each and every one of these 
 men does what he does in a heartless, scram- 
 bling, formal kind of way. He does it coldly 
 as a duty. He does not do 4t with appetite 
 and pleasure. He is glad when the task is 
 over. He forgets it all when the book is shut. 
 Oh ! what a sad picture is this ! But in mul- 
 titudes of cases, oh ! how true ! 
 
 But how do I know all this ? What makes 
 me speak so confidently? Listen to me a few 
 moments, and I will lay before you some evi- 
 dence. Neglect of the Bible is like disease of 
 the body. It shows itself in the face of a 
 man's conduct. It tells its own tale. It can- 
 not be hid. 
 
 I am sure that many neglect the Bible, he- 
 cause of the enormous ignorance of true religion 
 
"how eeadest thou?' 203 
 
 which everywhere 'prevails. There are thou- 
 sands of professing Christians in this Protest- 
 ant country who know literally nothing about 
 the Gospel. They could not give you the 
 slightest account of its distinctive doctrines. 
 They have no more idea of the meaning of 
 conversion, grace, faith, justification, and sanc- 
 tification, than of so many words and names 
 in Arabic. If you were to ask them whether 
 regeneration, and the new creature, were a 
 beast, a man, or a doctrine, they could not tell. 
 And can I suppose such persons read the Scrip- 
 tures ? I cannot suppose it. I do not believe 
 they do. 
 
 I am sure that many neglect the Bible, he- 
 cause of the utter indifference with which they re- 
 gard false doctrine. They will talk with perfect 
 coolness of others having become Eoman Ca- 
 tholics, or Socinians, or Mormonites, as if it 
 were all the same thing in the long run. And 
 can I suppose such persons search the Scrip- 
 tures? I cannot suppose it. I do not believe 
 they do. 
 
 i am sure that many neglect the Bible, he- 
 
204 "how eeadest thou?" 
 
 cause of the readiness with which they receive false 
 doctrines. They are led astray by the first 
 preacher of lies they meet with, who has a 
 pleasant voice, a nice manner, and a gift of 
 eloquent speech. They swallow all he says 
 without enquiry, and believe him as implicitly 
 as the Papists do the Pope. And can I sup- 
 pose such persons search the Scriptures ? I 
 cannot suppose it. I do not believe they do. 
 
 I am sure that many neglect the Bible, he- 
 cause of the bitterness with which they contend for 
 some little secondary unimportant point in religion. 
 They make a "Shibboleth" of their own little 
 cherished point, and are ready to set down 
 every one as no Christian, if he does not see 
 it with their eyes. And can I suppose such 
 persons really search the whole Scriptures ? 
 I cannot suppose it. I do not believe they do. 
 
 I am sure that many neglect the Bible, he- 
 cause of the very scanty knowledge they have of its 
 contents. They know a certain set of doctrines. 
 They can repeat a certain string of hackneyed 
 texts. Bat they never seem to get beyond 
 this little string. Let a man talk to them 
 
about some text out of their beaten path, and 
 be is at once out of their depth. They listen, 
 but have nothing to say. Let a minister preach 
 to them anything but the merest elements of 
 Christianity, and they appear shocked at him 
 as a rash and unsound teacher. In short, they 
 seem content to remain in the condition de- 
 scribed by St. Paul to the Hebrews, always 
 unskilful in the word of righteousness, — al- 
 ways in a state of religious babyhood. And 
 can I suppose such persons really search the 
 Scriptures ? I cannot suppose it. I do not 
 believe they do. 
 
 I am sure that many neglect the Bible, he- 
 cause of the lives they live. They do the very 
 things that God plainly forbids. They neglect 
 the very things that God plainly commands. 
 They break God's laws week after week with- 
 out shame. And can I suppose such persons 
 search the Scriptures ? I allow that much 
 knowledge of the Bible and much wickedness 
 of heart may sometimes be found together. 
 But when I see a wicked life, I generally be- 
 lieve there is a neo-lected Bible. 
 
I am sure tliat many neglect tb^ Bible, he- 
 cause of the deaths they die. Tbej send for a 
 minister in tbeir last moments, and ask for tbe 
 consolations of religion. And in wbat state 
 are they found ? They know nothing what- 
 ever of the way of salvation. They have to 
 be told which are the first principles of the 
 Gospel of Christ. And can I suppose such 
 persons have searched the Scriptures ? I can- 
 not suppose it. I do not believe they have. 
 
 I bring forward all this evidence with sor- 
 row. I know well it will be offensive to some. 
 But I believe I have stated nothing but glar- 
 ing facts, which every true Christian and true 
 minister of Christ's Gospel will readily con- 
 firm. And I say that these facts prove the 
 existence of a sore evil in Great Britain. — I 
 mean a neglected Bible. These things would 
 never be, if the Bible was thoroughly read by 
 many, as well d,^ possessed. 
 
 Ah! reader, it is a painful thought, that 
 there should be so much profession of love to 
 the Bible among uS; and so little proof that 
 the Bible is read I Here we are, as a nation. 
 
"how eeadest thotj?" 207 
 
 pluming ourselves on our Protestantism, and 
 yet neglecting the foundation on whicli Pro- 
 testantism is built ! Here we are, thanking 
 God with our lips, like the Pharisee, that we 
 are not Papists, as some are, and yet dishonor- 
 ing God's word ! It is an awful thought, that 
 the people of this country will be judged ac- 
 cording to their light, and that so many of 
 them should be keeping that light under a 
 bushel ! Truly I have cause for saying, no 
 gift of God is so neglected as the Bible. 
 
 Eeader, this neglected book is the subject 
 about which I address you this day. Surely 
 it is no light matter what you are doing with 
 the Bible. Surely when the plague is abroad, 
 you should search and see whether the plague- 
 spot is on you. I charge you, I entreat you, 
 to give an honest answer to my question. — 
 "What art thou doing with the Bible ? Dost 
 thou read it? HOW EEADEST THOU? 
 
 yil. I ask in the seventh place, because 
 the Bible is the only rule hy lohich all questions of 
 doctrine or of duty can he tried. 
 
208 ^'nOW READEST THOU?" 
 
 The Lord God knows the weakness and in- 
 firmity of our poor fallen understandings. He 
 knows that, even after conversion, our per- 
 ceptions of right and wrong are exceedingly 
 indistinct. He knows how artfully Satan can 
 gild error with an appearance of truth, and 
 can dress up wrong with plausible arguments, 
 till it looks like right. Knowing all this. He 
 has mercifully provided us with an unerring 
 standard of truth and error, right and wrong, 
 and has taken care to make that standard a 
 written book, — even the Scripture. 
 
 Ko one can look round the world, and not 
 see the wisdom of such a provision. 'No one 
 can live long, and not find out that he is con- 
 stantly in need of a counsellor and adviser, — 
 of a rule of faith and practice, on which he 
 can depend. Unless he lives like a beast, 
 without a soul and conscience, he will find 
 himself constantly assailed by difficult and 
 puzzling questions. He will be often asking 
 himself. What must I believe ? and what must 
 I do? 
 
 The world is full of difficulties about points 
 
"how eeadest THor?" 209 
 
 of doctrine. The house of error lies close 
 alongside the house of truth. The door of 
 one is so like the door of the other, that there 
 is continual risk of mistakes. 
 
 Does a man read or travel much ? He will 
 soon find the most opposite opinions prevail- 
 ing among those who are called Christians. 
 He will discover that different persons give 
 the most different answers to the important 
 question, What shall I do to be saved ? The 
 Eoman Catholic and the Protestant, — the 
 Neologian and the Tractarian, — The Mormon- 
 ite and the Swedenborgian, — each and all will 
 assert that he alone has the truth. Each and 
 all will tell him that safety is to be found in 
 his party. Each and all say, " Come with us." 
 All this is puzzling. What shall a man do ? 
 
 Does he settle down quietly in some Eng- 
 lish or Scotch parish ? He will soon find that 
 even in our own land the most conflicting 
 views are held. He will soon discover that 
 there are serious differences among Christians, 
 as to the comparative importance of the va- 
 rious parts and articles of the faith. One man 
 
thinks of nothing but Church government, — 
 another of nothing but sacraments, services, 
 and forms, — a third of nothing but preaching 
 the Gospel. Does he apply to ministers for a 
 solution? He will perhaps find one minister 
 teaching one doctrine, and another another. 
 Does he go to the Bishops for help ? He will 
 find what one Bishop says is right, another 
 says is wrong. All this is puzzling. What 
 shall a man do ? 
 
 There is only one answer to this question. 
 A man must make the Bible alone his rule. 
 He must receive nothing, and believe nothing, 
 which is not according to the word. He 
 must try all religious teaching by one simple 
 test, — Does it square with the Bible ? — What 
 saith the Scripture ? 
 
 I would to God the eyes of the laity of this 
 country were more open on this subject. I 
 would to God they would learn to weigh ser- 
 mons, books, opinions, and ministers, in the 
 scales of the Bible, and to value all according 
 to their conformity to the word. I would to 
 God they would see that it matters little who 
 
sajs a thing, — whether he be Father or Re- 
 former, — Bishop or Archbishop, — Priest or 
 Deacon, — Archdeacon or Dean. The onl}^ 
 question is, — Is the thing said Scriptural ? If 
 it is, it ought to be received and believed. If 
 it is not, it ought to be refused and cast aside. 
 I fear the consequences of that servile accept- 
 ance of everything which the parson says, 
 which is so common among many English lay- 
 men. I fear lest they be led they know not 
 whither, like the blinded Syrians, and awake 
 some day to find themselves in the power of 
 Rome. Oh ! that men in England would only 
 remember for what the Bible was given 
 them! 
 
 I tell English laymen that it is nonsense to 
 say, as some do, that it is presumptuous to 
 judge a minister's teaching by the word. 
 When one doctrine is proclaimed in one parish, 
 and another in another, people must read and 
 judge for themselves. Both doctrines cannot 
 be right, and both ought to be tried by the 
 word. I charge them above all things, never 
 to suppose that any true minister of the Gos- 
 
pel will dislike his people measuring all lie 
 teaches by the Bible. On the contrary, the 
 more they read the Bible, and prove all he 
 says by the Bible, the better he will be pleas- 
 ed. A false minister may say, " You have no 
 right to use your private judgment : leave the 
 Bible to us who are ordained." A true min- 
 ister will say, " Search the Scriptures, and if I 
 do not teach you what is Scriptural, do not be- 
 lieve me." A false minister may say, " Hear 
 the Church," and " Hear me." A true minis- 
 ter will say, '' Hear the word of God." 
 
 But the world is not only full of difficulties 
 about points of doctrine. It is equally full of 
 difficulties about points of ])ractice. Every 
 professing Christian, who wishes to act con- 
 scientiously, must know that it is so. The 
 most puzzling questions are continually aris- 
 ing. He is tried on every side by doubts as 
 to the line of duty, and can often hardly see 
 what is the right thing to do. 
 
 He is tried by questions connected with the 
 management of his worldly calling, if he is in 
 business or in trade. He sometimes sees 
 
things going on of a very doubtful character, 
 — things that can hardly be called fair, 
 straightforward, truthful, and doing as you 
 would be done by. But then everybody in 
 the trade does these things. They have al- 
 ways been done in the most respectable houses. 
 There would be no carrying on a profitable 
 business if they were not done. They are not 
 things distinctly named and prohibited by 
 God. All this is very puzzling. What is a 
 man to do? 
 
 He is tried by questions of a political kind, 
 if he occupies a high position in life. He finds 
 that men do things in their public capacity, 
 which they would not think of doing in their 
 private one. He finds that men are expected 
 to sacrifice their own judgment, private opin- 
 ion, and conscience, to the interests of their 
 own party, and to believe that the acts of their 
 own political friends are always right, and the 
 acts of their political opponents always wrong. 
 All this is puzzling. What is a man to do ? 
 
 He is tried by questions in the matter of 
 speaking truth. He hears things said continu- 
 
214 "how keadest thou?" 
 
 allv whicli lie knows are not correct. He 
 hears a false coloring put on stories, which he 
 knows ought to wear a different aspect. He sees 
 additions to, and subtractions from the whole 
 truth. He sees evasions, and equivocations, 
 and concealments of facts in every class of 
 society, when self interests are at stake. He 
 hears false compliments paid, and false excuses 
 alleged, and false characters given. But then 
 it is the way of the world. Everybody does 
 so. Nobody means any harm by it. All this 
 is very puzzling. What is he to do? 
 
 He is tried by questions about Sabbath ob- 
 servance. Can there really be any harm in 
 travelling, or writing letters, or keeping ac- 
 counts, or reading newspapers on Sunday ? Is 
 it wrong to take a situation on a railway, 
 merely because the Sunday traf&c would al- 
 most entirely keep him away from public wor- 
 ship ? Would it be wrong to open the Crystal 
 Palace at Sydenham on Sundays? Is not 
 Christianity a religion of liberty ? Do not 
 many learned, and respectable, and titled peo- 
 ple think that Sunday should be a day for re- 
 
 .._J 
 
creation ? All this is very puzzling. What 
 is a man to do ? 
 
 He is tried by questions about worldly 
 amusements. Eaces, and balls, and operas, 
 and theatres, and card parties, are all very 
 doubtful methods of spending time. But then 
 he sees numbers of great people taking part 
 in them. Are all these people wrong ? Can 
 there really be such mighty harm in these 
 things ? All this is very puzzling. What is 
 a man to do ? 
 
 He is tried by questions about the education 
 of his children. He wishes to train them up 
 morally and rehgiously, and to remember their 
 souls. But he is told by many sensible people 
 that young persons will be young, — that it 
 does not do to check and restrain them too 
 much, and that he ought to attend panto- 
 mimes and children's parties, and give chil- 
 dren's balls himself. He is informed that this 
 nobleman or that lady of rank, always does 
 so, and yet they are reckoned religious people. 
 Surely it cannot be wrong. All this is very 
 puzzling. What is he to do ? 
 
216 "how eeadest thotj?" 
 
 He is tried by questions about reading. He 
 does not wish to read what is really bad, and 
 has not time for much reading beside the 
 Bible. Ought he, or ought he not, to read 
 such things as sceptical writings, or French 
 novels, or semi-popish poetry ? Can there 
 really be much harm in it ? Do not many 
 persons, as good as himself, read these things ? 
 And after all, the Bible has not expressly for- 
 bidden Emerson or Eugene Sue. All this is 
 very puzzling. What is he to do ? 
 
 There is only one ansvtrer to all these ques- 
 tions. A man must make the Bible his rule 
 of conduct. He must make its leading prin- 
 ciples the compass by which he steers his 
 course through life. By the letter or spirit of 
 the Bible he must test every difficult point and 
 question. To the law and to the testimony ! 
 What saith the Scripture ? He ought to care 
 nothing for what other people may think right. 
 He ought not to set his watch by the clock 
 of his neighbor, but by the sun-dial of the 
 word. 
 
 Eeader, I charge you solemnly to act on the 
 
"how keadest thou?" 217 
 
 maxim I have just laid down, and to adhere 
 to it rigidly all the days of your life. You 
 will never repent of it. Make it a leading 
 principle never to act contrary to the word. 
 Care not for the charge of over-strictness, and 
 needless precision. Remember, you serve a 
 strict and holy God. Listen not to the com- 
 mon objection, that the rule you have laid 
 down is impossible, and cannot be observed in 
 such a world as this. Let those who make 
 such an objection speak out plainly, and tell 
 us for what the Bible was given to man. Let 
 them remember that by the Bible we shall 
 all be judged at the last day, and let them 
 learn to judge themselves by it here, lest 
 they be judged and condemned by it here- 
 after. 
 
 Reader, this mighty rule of faith and prac- 
 tice is the book about which I am addressing 
 you this day. Surely it is no light matter 
 what you are doing with the Bible. Surely 
 when danger is abroad on the right hand and 
 on the left, you should consider what you are 
 doing with the safe-guard which God has pro- 
 
vided. I charge yon, I beseecli you, to give 
 an honest answer to my question. What are 
 you doing with the Bible ? — Do you read it ? 
 HOW KEADEST THOU? 
 
 yill. I ask in the next place, because the 
 Bible is the hook which all true servants of God 
 have always lived on and loved. 
 
 Every living thing which God creates re- 
 quires food. The life that God imparts needs 
 sustaining and nourishing. It is so with ani- 
 mal and vegetable life,' — with birds, beasts, 
 fishes, reptiles, insects, and plants. It is 
 equally so with spiritual life. When the Holy 
 Ghost raises a man from the death of sin, and 
 makes him a new creature in Christ Jesus, the 
 new principle in that man's heart requires food, 
 and the only food which will sustain it is the 
 word of God. 
 
 There never was a man or woman converted, 
 from one end of the world to the other, who 
 did not love the revealed will of God. . Just 
 as a child born into the world desires naturally 
 the milk provided for its nourishment, so does 
 a soul born again desire the sincere milk of 
 
 
"hoav readest thou?" 219 
 
 the word. This is a common mark of all the 
 children of God, — they delight in the law of 
 the Lord. 
 
 Show me a person who despises Bible read- 
 ing, or thinks little of Bible preaching, and I 
 hold it to be a certain fact that he is not yet 
 born again. He may be zealous about forms 
 and ceremonies. He may be diligent in at- 
 tending sacraments and daily services. But 
 if these things are more precious to him than 
 the Bible, I cannot think he is a converted 
 man. Tell me what the Bible is to a man, 
 and I will generally tell you what he is. This 
 is the pulse to try, — this is the barometer to 
 look at, — if we would know the state of the 
 heart. I have no notion of the Spirit dwell- 
 ing in a man, and not giving clear evidence 
 of His presence. And I believe it to be a 
 signal evidence of the Spirit's presence, when 
 the word is really precious to a man's 
 soul. 
 
 Love to the word is one of the characteris- 
 tics we see in Job. Little as we know of this 
 Patriarch and his age, this at least stands out 
 
220 "how readest thou?" 
 
 clearly. He says, ''I have esteemed the words 
 of his mouth more than my necessary food." 
 (Job, xxiii. 12.) 
 
 Love to the word is a shining feature in the 
 character of David. Mark how it appears all 
 through that wonderful part of Scripture, the 
 cxixth Psalm. He might well say, " Oh ! how 
 I love thy law." 
 
 Love to the word is a striking point in the 
 character of St. Paul. What were he and his 
 companions but men mighty in the Scriptures? 
 What were his sermons but expositions and 
 applications of the word ? 
 
 Love to the word appears pre-eminently in 
 our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, He read it 
 publicly. He quoted it continually. He ex- 
 pounded it frequently. He advised the Jews 
 to search it. He used it as His weapon to re- 
 sist the devil. He said repeatedly " The 
 Scripture must be fulfilled." — Almost the last 
 thing He did was to open the understanding 
 of His disciples, that they might understand 
 the Scriptures. Ah ! reader, that man can 
 be no true servant of Christ, who has not 
 
"how readest THor?" 221 
 
 something of his Master's mind and feeling 
 toward the Bible. 
 
 Love to the word has been a prominent 
 feature in the history of all the saints, of whom 
 we know anything, since the days of the apos- 
 tles. This is the lamp which Athanasius, and 
 Chrvsostom, and Ano-ustine followed. This is 
 the compass which kept the Vallenses and Al- 
 bigenses from making shipwreck of the faith. 
 This is the well which was re-opened by Wy- 
 cliffe and Luther, after it had been long stop- 
 ped up. This is the sword with which Lati- 
 mer, and Jewell, and Knox won their victo- 
 ries. This is the manna which fed Baxter, 
 and Owen, and the noble host of the Puritans, 
 and made them strong to battle. This is the 
 armory from which Whitefield and Wesley 
 drew their powerful weapons. This is the 
 mine from which Bickersteth and M'Cheyne 
 brought forth rich gold. Differing as these holy 
 men did in some matters, on one point they 
 were all agreed, — they all delighted in the word. 
 
 Love to the word is one of the first things 
 that appears in the converted heathen, at the 
 
various Missionary stations througliout the 
 world. In hot climates and in cold, — among 
 savage people and among civilized, — in New 
 Zealand, in the South Sea Islands, in Africa, 
 in Hindostan, — it is always the same. They 
 enjoy hearing it read. They long to be able 
 to read it themselves. They wonder why 
 Christians did not send it to them before. How 
 striking is the picture which Moffat draws of 
 Africaner, the fierce South African chieftain, 
 when first brought under the power of the 
 Gospel ! " Often have I seen him," he says, 
 " under the shadow of a great rock nearly the 
 live-long day, eagerly perusing the pages of 
 the Bible." How touching is the expression 
 of a poor converted negro, speaking of the 
 Bible ! He said, "It is never old and never 
 cold." How affecting was the language of 
 another old Negro, when some would have 
 dissuaded him from learning to read, because 
 of his great age. "No!" he said, "I will 
 never give it up till I die. It is worth all the 
 labor to be able to read that one verse, ' God 
 so loved the world, that he gave his only be- 
 
gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 
 should not perish, but have eternal life.' " 
 
 Love to the Bible is one of the grand points 
 of agreement among all converted men and 
 women in our own land. Episcopalians and 
 Presbyterians, Baptists and Independents, Me- 
 thodists and Plymouth Brethren, — all unite in 
 honoring the Bible, as soon as they are real 
 Christians. This is the manna which all the 
 tribes of our Israel feed upon, and find satisfy- 
 ing food. This is the fountain round which 
 all the various portions of Christ's flock meet 
 together, and from which no sheep goes thirsty 
 away. Oh ! that believers in this country 
 would learn to cleave more closely to the 
 written word I Oh ! that they would see that 
 the more the Bible, and the Bible only, is the 
 substance of men's religion, the more they 
 agree ! It is probable there never was an 
 uninspired book more universally admired 
 than Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. It is a 
 book which all denominations of Christians 
 delight to honor. It has won praise from all 
 parties. Now what a striking fact it is, that 
 
the author was pre-eminently a man of one 
 book I He had read hardly anything but the 
 Bible. 
 
 Away with the foolish idea, that making 
 the Bible alone the rule of faith hinders unity, 
 and that those who profess to glory in the 
 Bible, and nothing but the Bible, are hopeless- 
 ly divided! It is a weak invention of the 
 enemy. It is a base calumny. Ko doubt there 
 is much dissension and party spirit among 
 mere outward professors ; but among the great 
 bulk of believing Protestants there is a won- 
 derful amount of unity, — real, thorough, and 
 deep, far deeper than the boasted unity of 
 Rome. Their differences are merely about the 
 outward trappings of Christianity. About the 
 body of the faith they are all agreed. Their 
 differences are studiously exaggerated by the 
 enemies of true religion. Their points of agree- 
 ment, — such as the " Harmony of Protestant 
 Confessions" exhibits, are studiously kept out 
 of sight. Their differences are differences 
 which in times of common danger are soon 
 forgotten. Their unity is an unity which in 
 
front of sin, heathenism, and persecution, 
 stands boldly out. Eidley and Hooper forgot 
 tlieir old disagreements when they found them- 
 selves in Queen Mary's prisons. Churchmen 
 and Nonconformists laid aside their quarrels 
 when James II. tried to bring back Popery to 
 England. Protestant missionaries, of different 
 denominations, find they can work and pray 
 together, when they are in the midst of idola- 
 ters. Protestant believers in London have 
 proved to the world that they can agree to 
 labor together for the conversion of souls, by 
 maintaining that glorious Institution, the Lon- 
 don City Mission. And what is the secret of 
 all this deep-seated unity ? It comes from 
 this, — that all believers on earth are not only 
 born of one Spirit, but also read one holy book, 
 and feed on the bread of one Bible. 
 
 Ah! reader, it is a blessed thought that 
 there will be " much people" in heaven at last. 
 Few as the Lord's people undoubtedly are at 
 any one given time or place, yet all gathered 
 together at last, they will be " a multitude that 
 no man can number." They will be of one 
 
 16 
 
226 "how readest thou?" 
 
 heart and mind. They will have passed 
 through like experience. They will all have 
 repented, believed, lived holy, prayerfal, and 
 humble. They will all have washed their 
 robes and made them white in the blood of 
 the Lamb. But one thing beside all this they 
 will have in common. They will all love the 
 texts and doctrines of the Bible. The Bible 
 will have been their food and delight, in the 
 days of their pilgrimage on earth. And the 
 Bible will be a common subject of joyful medi- 
 tation and retrospect, when they are gathered 
 together in heaven. 
 
 Eeader, this book, which all true Christians 
 live upon and love, is the subject about which 
 I am addressing you this day. Surely it is 
 no light matter what you are doing with the 
 Bible. Surely it is a matter for serious in- 
 quiry, whether you know anything of this 
 love to the word, and have this mark of walk- 
 ing in the footsteps of the flock. I charge 
 you, I entreat you to give me an honest an- 
 swer. What are you doing with the Bible ? — 
 Do you read it ? HOW READEST THOU ? 
 
IX. I ask, in the last place, because the 
 Bible is the only hook which can comfort a man 
 in the last hours of his life. 
 
 Death is an event which in all probability 
 is before us all. There is no avoiding it. It 
 is the river which each of us must cross. I 
 who write, and you who read, have each one 
 day to die. It is good to remember this. We 
 are all sadly apt to put away the subject from 
 us. "Each man thinks each man mortal but 
 himself." I want every one to do his duty 
 in life, but I also want every one to think of 
 death. I want every one to know how to 
 live, but I also want every one to know how 
 to die. 
 
 Death is a solemn event to all. It is the 
 winding up of all earthly plans and expecta- 
 tions. It is a separation from all we have 
 loved and lived with. It is often accompanied 
 by much bodily pain and distress. It brings 
 us to the grave, the worm, and corruption. It 
 opens the door to judgment and eternity, — to 
 heaven or to hell. It is an event after which 
 there is no change, or space for repentance. 
 
Other mistakes may be corrected or retrieved, 
 but not a mistake on our death-beds. As the 
 tree falls, there it must lie. No conversion in 
 the coffin ! !N"o new birth after we have ceased 
 to breathe ! And death is before us all. It 
 may be close at hand. The time of our de- 
 parture is quite uncertain. But sooner or 
 later we must each lie down alone and die. 
 All these are serious considerations. 
 
 Death is a solemn event, even to the be- 
 liever in Christ. For him no doubt the sting 
 of death is taken away. Death has become 
 one of his privileges, for he is Christ's. Liv- 
 ing or dying, he is the Lord's. If he lives, 
 Christ lives in him, and if he dies, he goes to 
 live with Christ. To him to live is Christ, 
 and to die is gain. Death frees him from 
 many trials, — from a weak body, a corrupt 
 heart, a tempting devil, and an ensnaring or 
 persecuting world. Death admits him to the 
 enjoyment of many blessings. He rests from 
 his labors : — The hope of a joyful resurrec- 
 tion is changed into a certainty : — He has the 
 company of holy redeemed spirits: — He is 
 
with Christ. All this is true, — and yet, even 
 to a believer, death is a solemn thing. Flesh 
 and blood naturally shrinks from it. To part 
 from all we love is a wrench and trial to the 
 feelings. The world we go to is a world un- 
 known, even though it is our home. Friendly 
 and harmless as death is to a believer, it is 
 not an event to be treated lightly. It always 
 must be a very solemn thing. 
 
 Eeader, it becomes every one to consider 
 calmly how he is going to meet death. Gird 
 up your loins, like a man, and look the sub- 
 ject in the face. Listen to me, while I tell 
 you a few things about the end we are 
 coming to. 
 
 The good things of the world cannot com- 
 fort a man when he draws near death. All 
 the gold of California and Australia will not 
 provide light for the dark valley. Money can 
 buy the best medical advice and attendance 
 for a man's body. But money cannot buy 
 peace for his conscience, heart, and soul. 
 
 Eelations, loved friends, and servants can- 
 not comfort a man when he draws near death. 
 
They may minister affectionately to his bodily 
 wants. They may watch by his bed-side ten- 
 derly, and anticipate his every wish. They 
 may smooth down his dying pillow, and sup- 
 port his sinking frame in their arms. But 
 they cannot " minister to a mind diseased." 
 They cannot stop the achings of a troubled 
 heart. They cannot screen an uneasy con- 
 science from the eye of God. 
 
 The pleasures of the world cannot comfort 
 a man when he draws near death. The bril- 
 liant ball-room, — the merry dance, — the mid- 
 night revel, — the party to Epsom races, — the 
 card table, — the box at the opera, — the voices 
 of singing men and singing women, — all these 
 are at length distasteful things. To hear of 
 hunting and shooting engagements gives him 
 no pleasure. To be invited to feasts, and re- 
 gattas, and fancy -fairs, gives him no ease. 
 He cannot hide from himself that these are 
 hollow, empty, powerless things. They jar 
 upon the ear of his conscience. They are out 
 of harmony with his condition. They cannot 
 stop one gap in his heart, when the last enemy 
 
is coming in like a flood. They cannot make 
 him calm in the prospect of meeting a holy 
 God. 
 
 Books and newspapers cannot comfort a 
 man when he draws near death. The most 
 brilliant writings of Macaulay or Dickens will 
 pall upon his ear. The most splendid article 
 in the Times will fail to interest them. The 
 Edinburgh and Quarterly Eeviews will give 
 him no pleasure. Punch and the Illustrated 
 News, and the last new novel, will lie unopened 
 and unheeded. Their time will be past. 
 Their vocation will be gone. Whatever they 
 may be in health, they are useless in the hoar 
 of death. 
 
 There is but one fountain of comfort for 
 a man drawing near to his end, and that is 
 the Bible. Chapters out of the Bible, — texts 
 out of the Bible, — statements of truth taken 
 out of the Bible, — books containing matter 
 drawn from the Bible, — these are a man's only 
 chance of comfort, when he comes to die. I 
 do not at all say that the Bible will do good, 
 as a matter of course, to a dying man, if he 
 
232 "how readest thou?' 
 
 has not valued it before. I know, unhappily, 
 too much of death-beds to say that. I do not 
 say whether it is probable that he who has 
 been unbelieving and neglectful of the Bible 
 in life, will at once believe and get comfort 
 from it in death. But I do say, positively, 
 that no dying man will ever get real com- 
 fort, except from the contents of the word of 
 God. All comfort from any other source is 
 a house built upon sand. 
 
 I lay this down as a rule of universal ap- 
 plication. I make no exception in favor of 
 any class on earth. Kings and poor men, 
 learned and unlearned, — all are on a level in 
 this matter. There is not a jot of real con- 
 solation for any dying man, unless he gets it 
 from the Bible. Chapters, passages, texts, 
 promises, and doctrines of Scripture, — heard, 
 received, believed, and rested on, — these are 
 the only comforters I dare promise to any one, 
 when he leaves the world. Taking the sacra- 
 ment* will do a man no more good than the 
 Popish extreme unction, so long as the word 
 is not received and believed. Priestly abso- 
 
lution will no more ease the conscience than 
 the incantations of a heathen magician, if the 
 poor dying sinner does not receive and believe 
 Bible truth. I tell every one who reads this 
 tract, that although men may seem to get on 
 comfortably without the Bible while they live, 
 they may be sure that without the Bible they 
 cannot comfortably die. It was a true con- 
 fession of the learned Selden, " There is no 
 book upon which we can rest in a dying mo- 
 ment but the Bible." 
 
 I might easily confirm all I have just said 
 by examples and illustrations. I might show 
 you the death-beds of men who have affected 
 to despise the Bible. I might tell you how 
 Voltaire and Paine, the famous infidels, died 
 in misery, bitterness, rage, fear, and despair. 
 I might show you the happy death-beds of 
 those who have loved the Bible and believed 
 it, and the blessed effect the sight of their 
 death-beds had on others. Cecil, a minister 
 whose praise ought to be in all churches, 
 says, " I shall never forget standing by the 
 bed-side of my dying mother. ' Are you 
 
234 " HOW READEST THOU ?" 
 
 afraid to die ?' I asked. ' No !' she replied. 
 ' But why does the uncertainty of another 
 state give you no concern ?' ' Because God 
 has said, * Fear not ; when thou passest through 
 the waters I will be with thee, and through 
 the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.' " I 
 might easily multiply illustrations of this 
 kind. But I think it better to conclude this 
 part of my subject, by giving the result of 
 my own observation as a minister. 
 
 I have seen not a few dying persons in my 
 time. I have seen great varieties of manner 
 and deportment among them. I have seen 
 some die sullen, silent, and comfortless. I have 
 seen others die ignorant, unconcerned, and 
 apparently without much fear. I have seen 
 some die so wearied out with long illness, that 
 they were quite willing to depart, and yet they 
 did not seem to me at all in a fit state to go 
 before God. I have seen others die with pro- 
 fessions of hope and trust in God, without 
 leaving satisfactory evidences that they were 
 on the rock. I, have seen others die, who I 
 believe were in Christ, and safe, and yet they 
 
never seemed to enjoy much sensible com- 
 fort. I have seen some few dying in the fall 
 assurance of hope, and like Bunyan's " Stand- 
 fast," giving glorious testimony to Christ's 
 faithfulness, even in the river. But one thing 
 I have never seen. I never saw any one en- 
 joy what I should call real, solid, calm, rea- 
 sonable peace on his death-bed, who did not 
 draw his peace from the Bible. And this I 
 am bold to say, that the man who thinks to 
 go to his death-bed without having the Bible 
 for his comforter, his companion, and his 
 friend, is one of the greatest madmen in the 
 world. There are no comforts for the soul 
 but Bible comforts, and he who has not got 
 hold of these, has got hold of nothing at all, 
 unless it be a broken reed. 
 
 Reader, the only comforter for a death-bed 
 is the book about which I address you this 
 day. Surely it is no light matter whether 
 you read that book or not. Surely a dying 
 man, in a dying world, should seriously con- 
 sider whether he has got anything to comfort 
 him, when his turn comes to die. I charge 
 
you, I entreat you, for the last time, to give 
 an honest answer to my question. What are 
 you doing with the Bible ? — Do you read it ? 
 HOW KEADEST THOU? 
 
 Eeader, I have now given you the reason 
 why I ask you a question about the Bible. I 
 have shown you that knowledge of the Bible 
 is absolutely necessary to salvation, — that no 
 book is written in such a manner as the Bible, 
 that no book contains such matter, — that no 
 book has done so much for the world gener- 
 ally, — that no book can do so much for every 
 one who reads it aright, — that no book is so 
 awfully neglected, — that this book is the only 
 rule of faith and practice, — that it is, and 
 always has been, the food of all true servants 
 of God, — and that it is the only book, which 
 can comfort men when they die. All these 
 are ancient things. I do not pretend to tell 
 you anything new. I have only gathered to- 
 gether old truths, and tried to mould them 
 into a new shape. Let me finish all, by ad- 
 dressing a few plain words to the conscience 
 of every class of readers : 
 
"how eeadest thof?" 237 
 
 1. This tract may fall into the hands of 
 some who can read, but never do read the 
 Bible at all. Eeader, are you one of them ? 
 If you are, I have something to say to you. 
 
 I cannot comfort you in your present state 
 of mind. It; would be mockery and deceit to 
 do so. I cannot speak to you of peace and 
 heaven, while you treat the Bible as you do. 
 You are in danger of losing your soul. 
 
 You are in danger, because your neglected 
 Bible is a 'plain evidence that you do not love God. 
 The health of a man's body may generally be 
 known by his appetite. The health of a man's 
 soul may be known by his treatment of the 
 Bible. Now you are manifestly laboring un- 
 der a sore disease. Eeader, will you not re- 
 pent ? 
 
 You are in danger, because God will reclcon 
 with you for your neglect of the Bible in the day 
 of judgment. You will have to give account 
 of your use of time, strength, and money ; 
 and you will also have to give account of your 
 use of the w©rd. You will not stand at that 
 bar side by side with the Patagonian, who ne- 
 
238 " now EEADEST THOII ?" 
 
 ver beard of the Bible. To whom much is 
 given, of them much will be required. Of all 
 men's buried talents, none will weigh them 
 down so heavily as a neglected Bible. As you 
 deal with the Bible, so God will deal with 
 your soul. Eeader, I say again, will you not 
 repent. 
 
 You are in danger, because there is no degree 
 of error in religion into ivhich you may not fall. 
 You are at the mercy of the first clever Jesuit, 
 Mormonite, Socinian, Turk, or Jew, who may 
 happen to meet you. A land of unwalled 
 villages is not more defenceless against an 
 enemy, than a man who neglects his Bible. 
 You may go on tumbling from one step of 
 delusion to another, till at length you are 
 landed in the pit of hell. Eeader, I say once 
 more, will you not repent ? 
 
 You are in danger, because there is not a 
 single i^easonahle excuse you can allege for neglect- 
 ing the Bible. You have no time to read it 
 forsooth ! But you can make time for eating, 
 drinking, sleeping, and perhaps for newspaper 
 reading and smoking. You might easily make 
 
"how keadest thou?" 239 
 
 time to read the word. Alas ! it is not want 
 of time, but waste of time that ruins souls. 
 You find it too troublesome to read forsooth ! 
 You had better say at once it is too much 
 trouble to go to heaven, and you are content 
 to go to hell. Truly these excuses are like 
 the rubbish round the walls of Jerusalem in 
 Nehemiah's days. They would all soon dis- 
 appear if, like the Jews, you had " a mind to 
 work." Eeader, I say for the last time, will 
 you not repent ? 
 
 I know I cannot reach your heart. I cannot 
 make you see and feel these things. I can 
 only enter my solemn protest against your 
 present treatment of the Bible, and lay that 
 protest before your conscience. I do so with 
 all my soul. Oh ! beware lest you repent too 
 late ! Beware lest you put off seeking for the 
 Bible till you send for the doctor in your last 
 illness, and then find the Bible a sealed book, 
 and dark as the cloud between the hosts of 
 Israel and Egypt, to your anxious soul ! Be- 
 ware lest you go on saying all your life, 
 " Men do very well without all this Bible- 
 
reading," and find at length, to your cost, that 
 men do yerj ill, and end in hell ! Beware lest 
 the day come, when you will feel, " Had I but 
 honored the Bible as much as I have honored 
 the newspaper, I should not have been left 
 without comfort in my last hours!" Bible- 
 neglecting reader, I give you a plain warning. 
 The plague-cross is at present on your door. 
 The Lord have mercy upon your soul ! 
 
 2. This tract may fall into the hands of 
 some one who is willing to begin reading the 
 Bible, but wants advice on the subject. 
 Eeader, are you that man? Listen to me, 
 and I will give you a few short hints. 
 
 For one thing, begin reading your Bible this 
 very day. The way to do a thing is to do it, 
 and the way to read the Bible is actually to 
 read it. It is not meaning, or wishing, or re- 
 solving, or intending, or thinking about it, 
 which will advance you one step. You must 
 positively read. There is no royal road in 
 this matter, any more than in the matter of 
 prayer. If you cannot read yourself, you 
 
"how eeadest thou?" 241 
 
 must persuade somebody else to read to you. 
 But one way or another, through eyes or ears, 
 the words of Scriptures must actually pass be- 
 fore your mind. 
 
 For another thing, read the Bible with an 
 earnest desire to understand it. Think not for a 
 moment that the great object is to turn over a 
 certain quantity of printed paper, and that it 
 matters nothing whether you understand it or 
 not. Some ignorant people seem to fancy that 
 all is done, if they clear off so many chapters 
 every day, though they may not have a notion 
 what they are all about, and only know that 
 they have pushed on their mark so many 
 leaves. This is turning Bible reading into a 
 mere form. It is almost as bad as the Popish 
 habit of buying indulgences, by saying a fabu- 
 lous number of ave-marias and paternosters. 
 It reminds one of the poor Hottentot, who ate 
 up a Dutch hymn-book, because he saw it 
 comforted his neighbors' hearts. Settle it 
 down in your mind, as a general principle, 
 that a Bible not understood is a Bible that 
 does no good. Say to yourself often as you 
 
 16 
 
read, " What is all this about ?" Dig for the 
 meaning, like a man digging for Australian 
 gold. Work hard, and do not give up the 
 work in a hurry. 
 
 For another thing, read the Bible loith deep 
 reverence. Say to your soul, whenever you 
 open the Bible, " my soul, thou art going to 
 read a message from God." The sentences of 
 judges, and the speeches of kings, are re- 
 ceived with awe and respect. How much more 
 reverence is due to the words of the Judge 
 of judges, and King of kings 1 Avoid, as you 
 would cursing and swearing, that irreverent 
 habit of mind, which some German divines 
 have unhappily taken up about the Bible. 
 They handle the contents of the holy book as 
 carelessly and disrespectfully, as if the writers 
 were such men as themselves. They make 
 one think of a child composing a book to ex- 
 pose the fancied ignorance of his own father, 
 —or of a pardoned murderer criticising the 
 hand-writing and style of his own reprieve. 
 Enter rather into the spirit of Moses on Mount 
 Horeb: "Put thy shoes from off thy feet; 
 
"how keadest thou?" 243 
 
 the place whereon thou standest is holy 
 ground." 
 
 For another thing, read the Bihle with earnest 
 prayer for the teaching a,nd help of the Holy 
 Spirit. Here is the rock on which many make 
 shipwreck at the very outset. They do not 
 ask for wisdom and instruction, and so they 
 find the Bible dark, and carry nothing away 
 from it. You should pray for the Spirit to 
 guide you into all truth. You should beg the 
 Lord Jesus Christ to open your understand- 
 ing, as He did that of His disciples. The 
 Lord God, by whose inspiration the book was 
 written, keeps the keys of the book, and alone 
 can enable you to understand it profitably. 
 Nine times over in one Psalm does David cry, 
 " Teach me." Five times over, in the same 
 Psalm, does he say, "Give me understanding." 
 Well says Owen, " There is a sacred light in 
 the word : but there is a covering and veil on 
 the eyes of men, so that they cannot behold it 
 aright. Now the removal of this veil is the 
 peculiar work of the Holy Spirit." Humble 
 prayer will throw more light on your Bible, 
 
24:4: "how EEADEST THOU?" 
 
 than Poole's Synopsis, or all tlie commenta- 
 ries that ever were written. Eemember this, 
 and say always, " God, for Christ's sake, 
 give me the teaching of the Spirit." 
 
 For another thing, read the Bible with child- 
 like faith and humanity. Open your heart as 
 you open your book, and say, " Speak Lord, 
 for thy servant heareth." Kesolve to believe 
 implicitly whatever you find there, however 
 much it may run counter to your own preju- 
 dices. Eesolve to receive heartily every 
 statement of truth, whether you like it or not. 
 Beware of that miserable habit of mind into 
 which some readers of the Bible fall. They 
 receive some doctrines, because they like 
 them. They reject others, because they are 
 condemning to themselves, or to some lover, 
 or relation, or friend. At this rate the Bible 
 is useless. Are we to be judges of what ought 
 to be in the word ? Do we know better than 
 God ? Settle it down in your mind that you 
 will receive all, and believe all, and that what 
 you cannot understand you will take on trust. 
 Eemember, when you pray, you are speaking 
 
"how readest thou?" 245 
 
 to God, and God hears you. But, remember, 
 when you read, God is speaking to you, and 
 you are not to answer again, but to listen. 
 
 For another thing, read the Bible in a spirit 
 of obedience and self-application. Sit down to 
 the study of it with a daily determination 
 that you will live by its rules, rest on its 
 statements, and act on its commands. Con- 
 sider, as you travel through every chapter, 
 " How does this afiect my position and course 
 of conduct? What does this teach me?'^ It 
 is poor work to read the Bible for mere cu- 
 riosity and speculative purposes, in order to 
 fill your head and store your mind with opin- 
 ions, while you do not allow the book to in- 
 fluence your heart and life. That Bible is 
 read best which is practised most. 
 
 For another thing, read the Bible daily. 
 Make it a part of every day's business to read 
 and meditate on some portion of God's work. 
 Private means of grace are just as needful 
 every day for our souls, as food and clothing 
 for our bodies. Yesterday's bread will not 
 feed the laborer to-day, and to-day's bread 
 
246 "how keadest thou?" 
 
 will not feed the laborer to-morrow. Do as 
 the Israelites did in the wilderness. Gather 
 your manna fresh every morning. Choose 
 your own seasons and hours. Do not scram- 
 ble over and hurry your reading. Give your 
 Bible the best, and not the worst part of your 
 time. But whatever plan you pursue, let it 
 be a rule of your life to visit the throne of 
 grace and the Bible every day. 
 
 For another thing, read all the Bible, and 
 read it in an orderly way. I fear there are 
 many parts of the word which some people 
 never read at all. This is, to say the least, a 
 very presumptuous habit. All Scripture is 
 profitable. To this habit may be traced the 
 want of broad, well-proportioned views of 
 truth, which is so common. Some people's 
 Bible-reading is a system of perpetual dipping 
 and picking. They do not seem to have an 
 idea of regularly going through the whole 
 book. This also is a great mistake. No 
 doubt in time of sickness and a&iction it is 
 allowable to search out seasonable portions. 
 But with this exception, I believe it is by 
 
'•HOW EEADEST THOU?" 247 
 
 far the best plan to begin the Old and New 
 Testaments at tbe same time, — read each 
 straight through to the end, and then begin 
 again. This is a matter in which every one 
 must be persuaded in his own mind. I can 
 only say it has been my own plan for fifteen 
 years, and I have never seen cause to alter it. 
 
 For another thing, read the Bible fairly and 
 honestly. Determine to take everything in its 
 plain, obvious meaning, and regard all forced 
 interpretations with great suspicion. As a 
 general rule, whatever a verse of the Bible 
 seems to mean, it does mean. Cecil's rule is 
 a very valuable one : — " The right way of in- 
 terpreting Scripture is to take it as we find it, 
 without any attempt to force it into any par- 
 ticular system." Well said Hooker, " I hold 
 it as a most infallible rule in the exposition of 
 Scripture, that when a literal construction will 
 stand, the furthest from the literal is common- 
 ly the worst." 
 
 In the last place, read the Bible with Christ 
 continually in vieiu. The grand primary object 
 of all Scripture is to testify of Jesus, Old 
 
24:8 "how eeadest thoij?" 
 
 Testament ceremonies are shadows of Christ. 
 Old Testament judges and deliverers are types 
 of Christ. Old Testament history shows the 
 world's need of Christ. Old Testament pro- 
 phecies are full of Christ's sufferings, and of 
 Christ's glory yet to come. The first advent 
 and the second, — the Lord's humiliation and 
 the Lord's kingdom, — the cross and the crown, 
 shine forth everywhere in the Bible. Keep 
 fast hold on this clue, if you would read the 
 Bible aright. 
 
 Eeader, I might easily add to these hints, 
 if time permitted. Few and short as they 
 are, you will find them worth attention. Act 
 upon them, and I firmly believe you will never 
 be allowed to miss the way to heaven. Act 
 upon them, and you will find light continually 
 increasing in your mind. No book of evi- 
 dence can be compared with that internal evi- 
 dence which he obtains, who daily uses the 
 word in the right way. Such a man does not 
 need the books of learned men, like Paley, 
 and Wilson, and M'llvaine. He has the wit- 
 
"how keadest thou?" 249 
 
 ness in himself. The book satisfies and feeds 
 his soul. A poor Christian woman once said 
 to an infidel, "I am no scholar. I cannot 
 argue like you. But I know that honey is 
 honey, because it leaves a sweet taste in my 
 mouth. And I know the Bible to be God's 
 book, because of the taste it leaves in my 
 heart." 
 
 8. This tract may fall into the hands^of some 
 one who loves and believes the Bible, and yet reads 
 it but little. I fear there are many such in this 
 day. It is a day of bustle and hurry. It is 
 a day of talking, and committee meetings, and 
 public work. These things are all very well 
 in their way, but I fear that sometimes they 
 clip and cut short private reading of the Bible. 
 Eeader, does your conscience tell you that you 
 are one of the persons I speak of? Listen to 
 me, and I will say a few things which deserve 
 your serious attention. 
 
 You are the man that is likely to get little 
 comfort from the Bible in time of need. Trial is 
 a striking season. Affliction is a searching 
 
wind, which strips the leaves off the trees, and ^ 
 brings to light the birds' nests. Now I fear 
 that your stores of Bible consolations may one 
 day run very low. I fear lest you should find 
 yourself at last on very short allowance, and 
 come into harbor weak, worn, and thin. 
 
 You are the man that is likely never to he es- 
 taUished in the truth I shall not be surprised 
 to hear that you arb troubled with doubts and 
 questionings about assurance, grace, faith, per- 
 severance, and the like. The devil is an old 
 and cunning enemy. Like the Benjamites, he 
 can throw stones at a hair-breadth, and not 
 miss. He can quote Scripture readily enough 
 when he pleases. Now you are not sufficient- 
 ly ready with your weapons to be able to fight 
 a good fight with him. Your armor does not 
 fit you well. Your sword sits loosely in your 
 hand. 
 
 You are the man that is likely to make mis- 
 takes in life. I shall not wonder if I am told 
 that you have erred about your own marriage, 
 — erred about your children's education, — 
 erred about the conduct of your household, — 
 
erred about the company you keep. The 
 world you steer througli is full of rocks, and 
 shoals, and sand-banks. You are not sufficient- 
 ly familiar either with the lights or charts. 
 
 You are the man that is likely to he carried 
 away hy some specious false teacher for a season. 
 It will not surprise me, if I hear that some one 
 of those clever, eloquent men, who can " make 
 the worse appear the better cause," is leading 
 you into many follies. You are wanting in 
 ballast. ISTo wonder if you are tossed to and 
 fro, like a cork on the waves. 
 
 Eeader, all these are uncomfortable things. 
 I want you to escape them all. Take the ad- 
 vice I offer you this day. Do not merely read 
 your Bible a little, but read it a great deal. 
 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. 
 Do not be a mere babe in spiritual knowledge. 
 Seek to become well-instructed in the kingdom 
 of heaven, and to be continually adding new 
 things to old. A religion of feeling is an 
 uncertain thing. It is like the tide, some- 
 times high, and sometimes low. It is like the 
 moon, sometimes bright and sometimes dim. 
 
252 "how eeadest thou?" 
 
 A religion of deep Bible knowledge, is a firm 
 and lasting possession. It enables a man not 
 merely to say, '^ I feel liope in Christ," — but, 
 " I know whom I have believed." 
 
 4. This tract may fall into the hands of some 
 one who reads the Bible much, and yet fancies he 
 is no better for his reading. This is a crafty 
 temptation of the devil. At one stage he 
 says, " Do not read the Bible at all." At an- 
 other he says, " Your reading does yon no 
 good : give it up." Reader, are you that man ? 
 I feel for you from the bottom of my soul. 
 Let me try to do you good. 
 
 Do not think you are getting no good from 
 the Bible, merely because you do not see that 
 good day by day. The greatest effects are by 
 no means those which make the most noise, 
 and are most easily observed. The greatest 
 defects are often silent, quiet, and hard to de- 
 tect at the time they are being produced. 
 Think of the influence of the moon upon the 
 earth, and of the air upon the human lungs. 
 Remember how silently the dew falls, and how 
 
"how eeadest thou?" 253 
 
 imperceptibly tlie grass grows. There may 
 be far more doing than you think in your soul 
 by your Bible-reading. 
 
 The word may be gradually producing deep 
 impressions on your heart, of which you are 
 not at present aware. Often when the memo- 
 ry is retaining no facts, the character of a man 
 is receiving some everlasting impression. Is 
 sin becoming every year more hateful to you ? 
 Is Christ becoming every year more precious ? 
 Is holiness becoming every year more lovely 
 and desirable in your eyes? If these things 
 are so, take courage. The Bible is doing you 
 good, though you may not be able to trace it 
 out day by day. 
 
 The Bible may be restraining you from some 
 sin or delusion, into which you would other- 
 wise run. It may be daily keeping you back, 
 and hedging you up, and preventing many a 
 false step. Ah ! reader, you might soon find 
 this out to your cost, if you were to cease 
 reading the word. The very familiarity of 
 blessings sometimes makes us insensible to 
 their value. Eesist the devil. Settle it down 
 
in your mind as an established rule, that whe- 
 ther you feel it at the moment or not, you are 
 inhaling spiritual health by reading the Bible, 
 and insensibly becoming more strong. 
 
 5. There may be some into whose hands this 
 tract will fall who really love the Bible, live upon 
 the Bihle^ and read it much. Eeader, are you 
 one of these ? Give me your attention, and I 
 will mention a few things, which we shall do 
 well to lay to heart. 
 
 Let us resolve to read the Bible more and 
 more every year we live. Let us try to get it 
 rooted in our memories, and engrafted into 
 our hearts. Let us be thoroughly well provi- 
 sioned with it against the voyage of death. 
 Who knows but we may have a very stormy 
 passage ? Sight and hearing may fail us, and 
 we may be in deep waters. Oh ! to have the 
 word hid in our hearts in such an hour as that ! 
 
 Let us resolve to be more watchful over our 
 Bible-reading every year that we live. Let us 
 be jealously careful about the time we give to 
 it, and the manner that time is spent. Let us 
 
beware of omitting our daily reading without 
 sufficient cause. Let us not be gaping, and 
 yawning, and dozing over our book, while we 
 read. Let us read like a London merchant 
 studying the city article in the Times, — or like 
 a wife reading a husband's letter from a dis- 
 tant land. Let us be very careful that we 
 never exalt any minister, or sermon, or book, 
 or tract, or friend, above the word. Cursed 
 be that book, or tract, or human counsel, which 
 creeps in between us and the Bible, and hides 
 the Bible from our eyes ! Once more, I say, 
 let us be very watchful. The moment we 
 open the Bible, the devil sits down by our 
 side. Oh ! to read with a hungry spirit, and 
 a simple desire for edification ! 
 
 Let us resolve to honor the Bible more in 
 our families. Let us read it morning and 
 evening to our children and households, and 
 not be ashamed to let men see that we do so. 
 Let us not be discouraged by seeing no good 
 arise from it. The Bible-reading in a family has 
 kept many a one from the gaol, the workhouse, 
 and the Gazette, if it has not kept him from hell. 
 
256 *'how eeadest thou?" 
 
 Let us resolve to meditate more on tlie Bi- 
 ble. It is good to take with us two or three 
 texts, when we go out into the world, and to 
 turn them over and over in our minds, when- 
 ever we have a little leisure. It keeps out 
 many vain thoughts. It clenches the nail of 
 daily reading. It preserves our souls from 
 stagnating and breeding corrupt things. It 
 sanctifies and quickens our memories, and pre- 
 vents their becoming like those ponds where 
 the frogs live, but the fish die. 
 
 Let us resolve to talk more to believers 
 about the Bible, when we meet them. Alas ! 
 the conversation of Christians, when they do 
 meet, is often sadly unprofitable. How many 
 frivolous, and trifling, and uncharitable things 
 are said ! Let us bring out the Bible more, 
 and it will help to drive the devil away, and 
 keep our hearts in tune. Oh ! that we may all 
 strive so to walk together in this world, that 
 Jesus may draw near, and go with us, as he went 
 with the two disciples journeying to Emmaus ! 
 
 Let us resolve to prize the Bible more. Let 
 us not fear being idolaters of this blessed book. 
 
"how eeadest thou?" 
 
 257 
 
 Men may easily make an idol of the clinrch, 
 of ministers, of sacraments, or of intellect. 
 Men cannot make an idol of the word. Let 
 ns regard all who would damage the authority 
 of the Bible or impugn its credit, as spiritual 
 robbers. We are travelling through a wilder- 
 ness : they rob us of our only guide. We are 
 voyaging over a stormy sea : they rob us of 
 our only compass. We are toiling over a 
 weary road : they pluck our staff out of our 
 hands. And what do these spiritual robbers 
 give us in place of the Bible ? What do they 
 offer as a guide and provision for our souls ? 
 Nothing ! absolutely nothing ! Big swelling 
 words ! Empty promises of new light ! High 
 sounding jargon, but nothing substantial and 
 real ! They would fain take from us the bread 
 of life, and they do not give us in its place so 
 much as a stone. Let us turn a deaf ear to 
 them. Let us firmly grasp and prize the Bible 
 more and more, the more it is assaulted. 
 
 Let us resolve to remember those who have 
 not got the Bible. Let us labor to raise them 
 from their low estate. None are so poor as 
 
 17 
 
258 "how readest thotj?" 
 
 those who have not the Scriptures. Let us 
 think of them with pity and compassion, and 
 not judge them by the standard of people who 
 have the word. 
 
 Let us deal gently with our Irish Brother. He 
 may do many things which fill us with horror. 
 But he errs, not knowing the Scriptures. He 
 has no Bible. 
 
 Let us judge charitably our Italian brother. 
 He may seem superstitious, and lazy, and in- 
 dolent, and incapable of anything great or 
 good. But he errs, not knowing the Scrip- 
 tures. He has no Bible. 
 
 Let us think lovingly of all Roman Catholic 
 laymen on the Continent. We may feel dis- 
 gusted by their adoring the Hol}^ Coat of 
 Treves. We may be shocked at their credu- 
 lity about the Winking Picture of the Virgin 
 at Rimini. But we must remember that men 
 will eat mice and rats in time of famine, and 
 we must not marvel if souls feed, on trash and 
 garbage, when priests debar them from read- 
 ing the word. They err, not knowing the 
 Scriptures, They have no Bibles. 
 
Last of all, let "us resolve to live by the Bible 
 more and more every year we live. Let us 
 resolutely take account of all our opinions and 
 practices, — of our habits and terftpers, — of our 
 behavior in public and in private, — in the 
 world, and by our own firesides. Let us 
 measure all by the Bible, and resolve, by 
 God's help, to conform to it. Oh I that we 
 may learn increasingly to cleanse our ways by 
 the word ! 
 
 Eeader, I commend all these things to your 
 serious and prayerful attention. I want the 
 ministers to be Bible-reading ministers, — the 
 congregations, Bible-reading congregations, — 
 and the nation, a Bible-reading nation. To 
 bring about this desirable end, I cast in my 
 mite into God's treasury. The Lord grant 
 that in your case it may prove not to have 
 been in vain. 
 
 I remain 
 
 Your affectionate Friend, 
 J. C. Eyle. 
 
a 
 
 P tliml pu tif\\t €xmf 
 
 "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ." — Gal. vi. 14. 
 
 " Christ crucified and Christ glorified is all tha,t we are 
 to study ; the one we are to study as long as we are 
 on earth, and the other we shall he admitted to study 
 when we get well to heaven. * * 
 
 " That faith which is not huilt on a dying Christ is hut 
 a perilous dream : God awaken all from it that are in 
 it!"— Robert Traill, 1690. 
 
 Keadek, 
 
 What do you think and feel about the 
 cross of Christ ? You live in a Christian land. 
 You probably attend the worship of a Chris- 
 tian church. You have perhaps been baptized 
 in the name of Christ. You profess and call 
 yourself a Christian. All this is well. It is 
 more than can be said of millions in the world. 
 But all this is no answer to my question, 
 " What do you think and feel about the cross of 
 Christy 
 I want to tell you what the greatest Chris- 
 
"what think you of the cross?" 261 
 
 tian that ever lived thought of the cross of 
 Christ. He has written down his opinion. 
 He has given his judgment in words that can- 
 not be mistaken. The man I mean is the 
 Apostle Paul. The place where you will find 
 his opinion, is in the letter which the Holy 
 Ghost inspired him to write to the Galatians. 
 And the words in which his judgment is set 
 down, are these, "God forbid that I should 
 glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ." 
 
 Now what did Paul mean by saying this ? 
 He meant to declare strongly, that he trusted 
 in nothing but Jesus Christ crucified for the 
 pardon of his sins and the salvation of his soul. 
 Let others, if they would, look elsewhere for 
 salvation. Let others, if they were so disposed, 
 trust in other things for pardon and peace. 
 For his part, the apostle was determined to 
 rest on nothing, lean on nothing, build his 
 hope on nothing, place confidence in nothing, 
 glory in nothing, except "the cross of Jesus 
 Christ." 
 
 Keader, let me talk to you about this sub- 
 
ject. Believe me it is one of the deepest im- 
 portance. This is no mere question of con- 
 troversy. This is not one of those points on 
 which men may agree to differ, and feel that 
 differences will not shut them out of heaven. 
 A man must be right on this subject, or he is 
 lost forever. Heaven or hell, happiness or 
 misery, life or death, blessing or cursing in the 
 last day, — all hinges on the answer to this 
 question, " What do you think about the cross 
 of Christ?" 
 
 I. Let me show you what the apostle Paul 
 did not glory in. 
 
 II. Let me explain to you what he did glory 
 in. 
 
 III. Let me show to you why all Christians 
 should think and feel about the cross like 
 Paul. 
 
 I. What did the apostle Paul not glory in ? 
 
 There are many things that Paul might have 
 gloried in, if he had thought as some do in 
 this dav. If ever there was one on earth who 
 had something to boast of in himself, that man 
 
"what think you of the ceoss?" 263 
 
 was the great apostle of the Gentiles. Now if 
 he did not dare to glory, who shall ? 
 
 He never glorified in his national privileges. 
 He was a Jew bj birth, and as he tells us him- 
 self, — "An Hebrew of the Hebrews." He 
 might have said, like many of his brethren, 
 " I have Abraham for my forefather. I am 
 not a dark unenlightened heathen. I am one 
 of the favored people of God. I have been ad- 
 mitted into covenant with God by circumcision. 
 I am a far better man than the ignorant Gen- 
 tiles." But he never said so. He never 
 gloried in anything of this kind. Never for 
 one moment ! 
 
 He never gloried in his own works. None 
 ever worked so hard for God as he did. He 
 was more abundant in labors than any of the 
 apostles. No living man ever preached so 
 much, travelled so much, and endured so 
 many hardships for Christ's cause. None ever 
 converted so many souls, did so much good 
 to the world, and made himself so useful to 
 mankind. No father of the early church, no 
 Reformer, no Puritan, no Missionary, no Min- 
 
ister, no Layman, — no one man could ever be 
 named, who did so many good works as the 
 Apostle Paul. But did he ever glory in 
 them, as if they were in the least meritorious, 
 and could save his soul ? Never ! never for 
 one moment. 
 
 He never gloried in his knowledge. He was 
 a man of great gifts naturally, and after he 
 was converted the Holy Spirit gave him 
 greater gifts still. He was a mighty preacher, 
 and a mighty speaker, and a mighty writer. 
 He was as great with his pen as he was with 
 his tongue. He could reason equally well 
 with Jews and Gentiles. He could argue 
 with infidels at Corinth, or Pharisees at Je- 
 rusalem, or self-righteous people in Galatia. 
 He knew many deep things. He had been 
 in the third heaven, and heard unspeakable 
 words. He had received the spirit of pro- 
 phecy, and could foretell things yet to come. 
 But did he ever glory in his knowledge, as if 
 it could justify him before God? Never! 
 never ! never for one moment ! 
 
 He never gloried in his graces. If ever there 
 
"what think you of the cross?" 265 
 
 was one who abounded in graces, that man 
 was Paul. He was full of love. How ten- 
 derly and affectionately he used to write ! He 
 could feel for souls like a mother or a nurse 
 feeling for her child. He was a bold man. 
 He cared not whom he opposed when truth 
 was at stake. He cared not what risks he 
 ran when souls were to be won. He was a 
 self-denying man, — in hunger and thirst often, 
 in cold and nakedness, in watchings and fast- 
 ings. He was a humble man. He thought 
 himself less than the least of all saints, and 
 the chief of sinners. He was a prayerful man. 
 See how it comes out at the beginning of all 
 his Epistles. He was a thankful man. His 
 thanksgivings and his prayers walked side 
 by side. But he never gloried in all this, 
 never valued himself on it, — never rested his 
 soul's hopes on it. Oh ! no ! never for a 
 moment ! 
 
 He never gloried in his churchmanship. If 
 ever there was a good churchman, that man 
 was Paul. He was himself a chosen apostle. 
 He was a founder of churches, and an ordainer 
 
of ministers. Timothy and Titus, and many 
 elders, received their first commission from his 
 hands. He was the beginner of services and 
 sacraments in many a dark place. Many an 
 one did he baptize. Many an one did he re- 
 ceive to the Lord's table. Many a meeting 
 for prayer, and praise, and preaching, did he 
 begin, and carry on. He was the setter np of 
 discipline in many a young church. What- 
 ever ordinances and rules and ceremonies 
 were observed in them, were first recommend- 
 ed by him. But did he ever glory in his 
 office and church standing? Does he ever 
 speak as if his churchmanship would save 
 him, justify him, put away his sins, and make 
 him acceptable before God ? Oh ! no ! never ! 
 never for a moment ! 
 
 And now, reader, mark what I say. If the 
 apostle Paul never gloried in any of these 
 things, who in all the world, from one end to 
 the other, — who has any right to glory in 
 them in our day ? If Paul said, God forbid 
 that I should glory in anything whatever ex- 
 cept the cross, who shall dare to say, " I have 
 
something to glory of, — I am a better man 
 than Paul?" 
 
 Who is there among the readers of this 
 tract, that trusts in any goodness of his own ? 
 Who is there that is resting on his own 
 amendments, — his own morality, — his own 
 performances of any kind whatever ? Who 
 is there that is leaning the weight of his soul 
 on anything whatever of his own, in the 
 smallest possible degree ? Learn, I say, that 
 you are very unlike the Apostle Paul. Learn 
 that your religion is not apostolical religion. 
 
 Who is there among the readers of this tract 
 that trusts in his churchmanship for salvation ? 
 Who is there that is valuing himself on his 
 baptism, or his attendance at the Lord's table, 
 — his church-going on Sundays, or his daily 
 services during the week, — and saying to 
 himself. What lack I yet? Learn, I say, this 
 day, that you are very unlike Paul. Your 
 Christianity is not the Christianity of the New 
 Testament. Paul would not glory in anything 
 but the cross. Neither ought you. 
 
 Oh! reader, beware of self-righteousness. 
 
26S "what think yotj of the cross?" 
 
 Open sin kills its thousands of souls. Self- 
 righteousness kills its tens of thousands. Go 
 and study humility with the great apostle of 
 the Gentiles. Go and sit with Paul at the 
 foot of the cross. Give up .your secret pride. 
 Cast away your vain ideas of your own good- 
 ness. Be thankful if you have grace, but 
 never glory in it for a moment. Work for 
 God and Christ with heart and soul and mind 
 and strength, but never dream for a second 
 of placing confidence in any work of your 
 own. 
 
 , Think, you who take comfort in some fan- 
 cied ideas of your own goodness, — think, you 
 who wrap up yourselves in the notion, " all 
 must be right, if I keep to my church," — 
 think for a moment what a sandy foundation 
 you are building upon ! Think for a moment 
 how miserably defective your hopes and pleas 
 will look in the hour of death, and in the 
 day of judgment ! Whatever men may say 
 of their own goodness while they are strong 
 and healthy, they will find but little to say of 
 it, when they are sick and dying. Whatever 
 
"what think you of the ceoss?" 269 
 
 merit they may see in their own works here 
 in this w^orld, they will discover none in them 
 when they stand before the bar of Christ. 
 The light of that great day of assize will 
 make a wonderful difference in the appear- 
 ance of all their doings. It will strip off the 
 tinsel, shrivel up the complexion, expose the 
 rottenness, of many a deed that is now called 
 good. Their wheat will prove nothing but 
 chaff. Their gold will be found nothing but 
 dross. Millions of so-called Christian actions, 
 will turn out to have been utterly defective 
 and graceless. They passed current, and 
 were valued among men. They will prove 
 light and worthless in the balance of God. 
 They will be found to have been like the 
 whitened sepulchres of old, fair and beautiful 
 without, but full of corruption within. Alas ! 
 for the man who can look forward to the day 
 of judgment, and lean his soul in the smallest 
 degree on anything of his own!* 
 
 * " Howsoever men when they sit at ease, do vainly tickle 
 their own hearts with the wanton conceit of I know not 
 what proportionable correspondence between their merits 
 
Eeader, once more I say, beware of self- 
 rigliteousness in every possible shape and 
 form. Some people get as much harm from 
 their fancied virtues as others do from their 
 sins. Take heed, lest you be one. Eest not, 
 rest not till your heart beats in tune with 
 St. Paul's. Best not till you can say with 
 him, " God forbid that I should glory in 
 anything but the cross." 
 
 II. Let me explain in the second place, 
 what you are to understand hy the cross of Christ, 
 
 The cross is an expression that is used in 
 more than one meaning in the Bible. What 
 
 and their rewards, which in the trance of their high specula- 
 tions, they dream that God hath measured and laid up a& it 
 were in bundles for them ; — we see, notwithstanding, bj dailj 
 experience, in a number even of them, that when the hour 
 of death approacheth, when they secretly hear themselves 
 summoned to appear and stand at the bar of that Judge, 
 whose brightness causeth the eyes of angels themselves to 
 dazzle, all those idle imaginations do then begin to hide 
 their faces. To name merits then is to lay their souls upon 
 the rack. The memory of their own deeds is loathsome 
 unto them. They forsake all things wherein they have put 
 any trust and confidence. No staff to lean upon, no rest, no 
 ease, no comfort then, but only in Christ Jesus." — Richard 
 Hooker. 1585. 
 
'*WHAT THINK YOU OF THE CEOSS ?" 271 
 
 did St. Paul mean when he said, "I glorj in 
 the cross of Christ," in the Epistle to the Ga-* 
 latians ? This is the point I now wish to make 
 clear. 
 
 The cross sometimes means that wooden 
 cross, on which the Lord Jesus was nailed and 
 put to death on Mount Calvary. This is what 
 St. Paul had in his mind's eye, when he told 
 the Philippians that Christ " became obedient 
 unto death, even the death of the cross." 
 (Phil. ii. 8.) This is not the cross in which 
 St. Paul gloried. He would have shrunk with 
 horror from the idea of glorying in a mere 
 piece of wood. I have no doubt he would 
 have denounced the Koman Catholic adora- 
 tion of the crucifix, as profane, blasphemous, 
 and idolatrous. ' 
 
 The cross sometimes means the afilictions 
 and trials which believers in Christ have to go 
 through if they follow Christ faithfully, for 
 their religion's sake. This is the sense in 
 which our Lord uses the word when he says, 
 *' He that taketh not his cross and followeth 
 after me, cannot be my disciple." (Matt. x. 
 
 J 
 
38.) This also is not the sense in which Paul 
 uses the word when he writes to the Galatians. 
 He knew that cross well. He carried it pa- 
 tiently. But he is not speaking of it here. 
 
 But the cross also means in some places the 
 doctrine that Christ died for sinners upon the 
 cross, — the atonement that He made for sin- 
 ners, by His suffering for them on the cross, 
 - — the complete and perfect sacrifice for sin 
 which He offered up, when He gave His own 
 body to be crucified. In short, this one word, 
 "the cross," stands for Christ crucified, the 
 only Saviour. This is the meaning in which 
 Paul uses the expression, when he tells the 
 Corinthians, " the preaching of the cross is to 
 them that perish foolishness." (1 Cor. i. 18). 
 This is the meaning in which he wrote to the 
 Galatians, " God forbid that I should glory, 
 save in the cross." He simply meant, " I 
 glory in nothing but Christ crucified, as the 
 salvation of my soul."* 
 
 * " By the cross of Ctrist the apostle understandeth the 
 all-sufRcient, expiatory, and satisfactory sacrifice of Christ 
 upoa the cross, with the whole work of our redemption : in 
 
Eeader, Jesus Christ crucified was the joy 
 and delight, the comfort and the peace, the 
 hope and the confidence, the foundation and 
 the resting place, the ark and the refuge, the 
 food and the medicine of Paul's soul. He did 
 not think of what he had done himself, and 
 suffered himself. He did not meditate on his 
 own goodness, and his own righteousness. He 
 loved to think of what Christ had done, and 
 Christ had suffered, — of the death of Christ, 
 the righteousness of Christ, the atonement 
 of Christ, the blood of Christ, the finished 
 work of Christ. In this he did glory. This 
 was the sun of his soul. 
 
 This is the subject he loved to preach about. 
 He was a man who went to and fro on the 
 
 the saving knowledge of, whereof he professeth he will glory 
 and boast." — Cudworth on Galatians. 1613. 
 
 " Touching these words, I do not find that any expositor, 
 either ancient or modern. Popish or Protestant, writing on 
 this place, doth expound the cross here mentioned of the 
 sign of the cross, but of the profession of faith in Him that 
 was hanged on the cross." — Mayer's Commentary. 1631. 
 
 "This is rather to be understood of the cross which 
 Christ suffered for us, than of that we suffer for Him." — 
 Leigh's Annotations. 1650. 
 
 18 
 
earth, proclaiming to sinners that the Son of 
 God had shed His own heart's blood to save 
 their souls. He walked up and down the 
 world telling people that Jesus Christ had 
 loved them, and died for their sins upon the 
 cross. Mark how he says to the Corinthians, 
 " I delivered unto you first of all that which 
 I also received, how that Christ died for our 
 sins." (1 Cor. xv. 8.) "I determined not to 
 know anything among you save Jesus Christ 
 and him crucified." (1 Cor. ii. 2.) He, — a 
 blaspheming, persecuting Pharisee, had been 
 washed in Christ's blood. He could not hold 
 his peace about it. He was never weary of 
 telling the story of the cross. 
 
 This is the subject he loved to dwell upon 
 when he wrote to believers. It is wonderful to 
 observe how full his epistles generally are of 
 the sufferings and death of Christ, — how they 
 run over with " thoughts that breathe, and 
 words that burn" about Christ's dying love 
 and power. His heart seems full of the sub- 
 ject. He enlarges on it constantly. He re- 
 turns to it continually. It is the golden thread 
 
that runs through: all his doctrinal teaching 
 and practical exhortation. He seems to think 
 that the most advanced Christian can never 
 hear too much of the cross.* 
 
 This is what he lived upon all his life, from 
 the time of his conversion. He tells the Gala- 
 tians, " The life that I now live in the flesh I 
 live by the faith of the son of God, who loved 
 me and gave himself for me." (Galat. ii. 20.) 
 What made him so strong to labor? What 
 made him so willing to work ? What made 
 him so unwearied in endeavoring to save 
 some ? What made him so persevering and 
 patient ? I will tell you the secret of it all. 
 He was always feeding by faith on Christ's 
 body and Christ's blood. Jesus crucified was 
 the meat and drink of his soul. 
 
 And, reader, you may rest assured that Paul 
 was right. Depend upon it, the cross of Christ, 
 • — the death of Christ on the cross to make 
 
 * " Christ crucified is the sum of the Gospel, and contains 
 all the riches of it. Paul was so much taken with Christ, 
 that nothing sweeter than Jesus could drop from his pen and 
 lips. It is observed that he hath the word " Jesus" five 
 huudi-ed times in his Epistles." — Charnock. 1684. 
 
atonement for sinners, — is tlie centre truth in 
 the whole Bible. This is the truth we begin 
 with when we open Genesis. The seed of the 
 woman bruising the serpent's head is nothing 
 else but a prophecy of Christ crucified. This 
 is the truth that shines out, though veiled, all 
 through the law of Moses and the history of 
 the Jews. The daily sacrifice, the passover 
 lamb, the continual shedding of blood in the 
 tabernacle and temple, — all these were em- 
 blems of Christ crucified. This is the truth 
 that we see honored in the vision of heaven 
 before we close the book of Eevelation. " In 
 the midst of the throne and of the four 
 beasts," we are told, " and in the midst of the 
 elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain." 
 (Eev. V. 6.) Even in the midst of heavenly 
 glory we get a view of Christ crucified. Take 
 away the cross of Christ, and the Bible is a 
 dark book. It is like the Egyptian hiero- 
 glyphics, without the key that interprets their 
 meaning, — curious and wonderful, but of no 
 real use. 
 
 Header, mark what I say. You may know 
 
"what think you of the cross?" 277 
 
 a good deal about tlie Bible. You may know 
 tlie outlines of tbe histories it contains, and 
 the dates of the events described, just as a . 
 man knows the history of England. You 
 may know the names of the men and women 
 mentioned in it, just as a man knows Cassar, 
 Alexander the Great, or Napoleon. You may 
 know the several precepts of the Bible, and 
 admire them, just as a man admires Plato, 
 Aristotle, or Seneca. But if you have not yet 
 found out that Christ crucified is the founda- 
 tion of the whole volume, you have read your 
 Bible hitherto to very little profit. Your reli- 
 gion is a heaven without a sun, an arch with- 
 out a keystone, a compass without a needle, a 
 clock without spring or weights, a lamp with- 
 out oil. It will not comfort you. It will not 
 deliver your soul from hell. "~^ 
 
 Eeader, mark what I say again. You may ~ 
 know a good deal about Christ, by a kind of 
 head knowledge. You may know who He 
 was, and where He was born, and what He 
 did. You may know His miracles, His sayings, 
 His prophecies, and His ordinances. You 
 
may know how- He lived, and how He suf- 
 fered, and how He died. But unless you 
 know the power of Christ's cross by experi- 
 ence, — unless you know and feel within that 
 the blood shed on that cross has washed away 
 your own particular sins, — unless you are will- 
 ing to confess that your salvation depends en- 
 tirely on the work that Christ did upon the 
 cross, — unless this be the case, Christ will pro- 
 fit you nothing. The mere knowing Christ's 
 name will never save you. You must know 
 His cross, and His blood, or else you will die 
 in your sins.* 
 
 Keader, as long as you live, beware of a reli- 
 gion in which there is not much of the cross. You 
 live in times when the warning is sadly need- 
 ful. Beware, I say again, of a religion with- 
 out the cross. 
 
 There are hundreds of places of worship in 
 
 * " If our faith stop in Christ's life, and do not fasten 
 upon his blood, it will not be a justifying faith. His mir- 
 acles, which prepared the world for his doctrines ; his holi- 
 ness, which fitted himself for his sufferings, had been insuf- 
 fieent for us without the addition of the cross." — Charnoch 
 1684. 
 
this day, in whicli there is everything almost 
 except the cross. There is carved oak, and 
 sculptured stone. There is stained glass, and 
 brilliant painting. There are solemn services, 
 and a constant round of ordinances. But the 
 real cross of Christ is not there. Jesus cruci- 
 fied is not proclaimed in the pulpit. The Lamb 
 of God is not lifted up, and salvation by faith 
 in Him is not freely proclaimed. And hence 
 all is wrong. Eeader, beware of such places 
 of worship. They are not apostolical. They 
 would not have satisfied St. Paul.* 
 
 There are thousands of religious books pub- 
 lished in our times, in which there is every- 
 thing except the cross. They are full of di- 
 rections about sacraments, and praises of the 
 church. They abound in exhortations about 
 holy living, and rules for the attainment of 
 perfection. They have plenty of fonts and 
 crosses both inside and outside. But the real 
 
 "^ " Paul determined to knovsr nothing else but Jesus 
 Christ and him crucified. But many manage the ministry 
 as if they had taken up a contrary determination, even to 
 know anything save Jesus Chi'ist and him crucified." — 
 Traill. 1690. 
 
280 "what think you of the cross 
 
 2" 
 
 cross of Christ is left out. The Saviour and 
 his dying love are either not mentioned, or 
 mentioned in an unscriptural way. And hence 
 they are worse than useless. Eeader, beware 
 of such books. They are not apostolical. They 
 would never have satisfied St. Paul. 
 
 Eeader, St. Paul gloried in nothing but the 
 cross. Strive to be like him. Set Jesus cru- 
 cified fully before the eyes of your soul. Lis- 
 ten not to any teaching which would interpose 
 anything between you and Him. Do not fall 
 into the old Galatian error:; Think not that 
 any one in this day is a better guide than the 
 apostles. Do not be ashamed of the old paths, 
 in which men walked who were inspired by 
 the Holy Ghost. Let not the vague talk of 
 men, who speak great swelling words about 
 catholicity, and the church, and the ministry, 
 disturb your peace, and make you loose your 
 hands from the cross. Churches, ministers; 
 and sacraments, are all useful in their way, 
 but they are not Christ crucified. Do not 
 give Christ's honor to another. " He that glo- 
 rieth, let him glory in the Lord." 
 
"what think yoit of the cross?" 281 
 
 III. Let me show you why all Christians 
 ought to ghry in the cross of Christ. 
 
 I feel that I mnst say something on this 
 point, because of the ignorance that prevails 
 about it. I suspect that many see no peculiar 
 glory and beauty in the subject of Christ's 
 cross. On the contrary, they think it painful, 
 humbling, and degrading. They do not see 
 much profit in the story of His death and suf- 
 ferings. They rather turn from it as an un- 
 pleasant thing. 
 
 Now, I believe that such persons are quite 
 wrong. I cannot hold with them. I believe 
 it is an excellent thing for us all to be contin- 
 ually dwelling on the cross of Christ. It is a 
 good thing to be often reminded how Jesus 
 was betrayed into the hands of wicked men, — 
 how they condemned Him with most unjust 
 judgment, — how they spit on Him, scourged 
 Him, beat Him, and crowned Him with thorns, 
 — how they led him forth as a lamb to the 
 slaughter, without His murmuring or resist- 
 ing, — how they drove the nails through His 
 hands and feet, and set Him up on Calvary 
 
 L. 
 
between two thieves, — ^how they pierced His 
 side with a spear, mocked Him in His suffer- 
 ings, and let Him hang there naked and bleed- 
 ing till He died. Of all these things, I say, it 
 is good to be reminded. It is not for nothing 
 that the crucifixion is described four times 
 over in the Kew Testament. There are very 
 few things that all the four writers of the Gos- 
 pel describe. Generally speaking, if Matthew, 
 Mark, and Luke, tell a thing in our Lord's his- 
 tory, John does not tell it. But there is one 
 thing that all the four give us most fully, and 
 that one thing is the story of the cross. This 
 is a telling fact, and not to be overlooked. 
 
 People seem to me to forget that all Christ's 
 sufferings on the cross were fore-ordained. 
 They did not come on Him by chance or 
 accident. They were all planned, counselled, 
 and determined from all eternity. The cross 
 was foreseen in all the provisions of the ever- 
 lasting Trinity, for the salvation of sinners. 
 In the purposes of God the cross was set up 
 from everlasting. Not one throb of pain did 
 Jesus feel, not one precious drop of blood did 
 
Jesus shed, which had not been appointed 
 long ago. Infinite wisdom planned that re- 
 demption should be by the cross. Infinite 
 wisdom brought Jesus to the cross in due 
 time. He was crucified by the determined 
 counsel and fore-knowledge of Grod. 
 
 People seem to me to forget that all Christ's 
 sufferings on the cross were necessary fof 
 •marHs salvation. He had to bear our sins, if 
 ever they were to be borne at all. With His 
 stripes alone could we be healed. This was 
 the one payment of our debt that God would 
 accept. This was the great sacrifice on which 
 our eternal life depended. If Christ had not 
 gone to the cross and suffered in our stead, 
 the just for the unjust, there would not have 
 been a spark of hope for us. There would 
 have been a mighty gulf between ourselves and 
 God, which no man ever could have passed.* 
 
 People seem to me to forget that all Christ's 
 sufferings were endured voluntarily and of His 
 
 * " In Christ's humiliation stands our exaltation ; in His 
 weakness stands our strength ; in His ignominy our gloiy ; 
 in His death our life." — Cvdworth. 1613. 
 
 " The eye of faith regards Christ sitting on the summit 
 
own free will. He was under no compulsion. 
 Of His own choice He laid down His life. Of 
 His own choice He went to the cross to finish 
 the work He came to do. He might easily 
 have summoned legions of angels with a word, 
 and scattered Pilate and Herod and all their 
 armies, like chaff before the wind. But He 
 was a willing sufferer. His heart was set on 
 the salvation of sinners. He was resolved to 
 open a fountain for all sin and uncleanness, by 
 shedding His own blood. 
 
 Eeader, when I think of all this, I sec 
 nothing painful or disagreeable in the subject 
 of Christ's cross. On the contrary, I see in it 
 wisdom and power, peace and hope, joy and 
 gladness, comfort and consolation. The more 
 I keep the cross in my mind's eye, the more 
 fulness I seem to discern in it. The longer I 
 dwell on the cross in my thoughts, the more 
 I am satisfied that there is more to be learned 
 at the foot of the cross than anywhere else in 
 the world. 
 
 of the cross, as in a triuniplial chariot ; the devil bound to 
 the lowest part of the same cross, and trodden under the 
 feet of Christ." — Bishop Davenant on Colossians. 1627. 
 
"what think tou of the ceoss?" 285 
 
 Would I know the lengtli and breadth of 
 God the Father's love towards a sinful world ? 
 Where shall I see it most displayed ? Shall 
 I look at His glorious sun shining down daily 
 on the unthankful and evil? Shall I look at 
 seed-time and harvest returning in regular 
 yearly succession ? Oh ! no ! I can find a 
 stronger proof of love than anything of this 
 sort. I look at the cross of Christ. I see 
 in it not the cause of the Father's love, but 
 the effect. There I see that God so loved 
 this wicked world, that He gave His only 
 begotten Son, — gave Him to suffer and die, 
 — that whosoever believeth in Him should 
 not perish, but have eternal life. I know 
 that the Father loves us because He did not 
 withhold from us His Son, His only Son. 
 Ah ! reader, I might sometimes fancy that 
 God the Father is too high and holy to care 
 for such miserable, corrupt creatures as we 
 are. But I cannot, must not, dare not think 
 it, when I look at the cross of Christ.* 
 
 * " The world we live in had fallen upon our heads, had 
 it not been upheld by the pillar of the cross ; had not 
 
Would I know how exceedingly sinful and 
 ^' ahominaUe sin is in the sight of God ? Where 
 shall I see that most fully brought out? 
 Shall I turn to the history of the flood, and 
 read how sin drowned the world ? Shall I 
 go to the shore of the Dead Sea, and mark 
 what sin brought on Sodom and Gomorrah? 
 Shall I turn to the wandering Jews, and ob- 
 serve how sin has scattered them over the face 
 of the earth ? No ! I can find a clearer proof 
 still. I look at the cross of Christ. There I 
 see that sin is so black and damnable, that 
 nothing but tiie blood of God's own Son can 
 wash it away. There I see that sin has so 
 separated me from my holy Maker, that all 
 the angels in heaven could never have made 
 peace between us. Nothing could reconcile 
 us short of the death of Christ. Ah ! if I 
 listened to the wretched talk of proud men, I 
 might sometimes fancy sin was not so very 
 
 Christ stepped in and promised a satisfaction for the sin of 
 man. By this all things consist >, not a blessing we enjoy- 
 but may put us in mind of it ; they were all forfeited by sin 
 but merited by his blood. If we study it well we shall be 
 sensible how God hateth sin and loved a world." — Charnock. 
 
"what think you of the ceoss?" 287 
 
 sinful. But I cannot think little of sin, wlien 
 I look at the cross of Christ."^ 
 
 Would I know the fulness and completeness' 
 of the salvation God has provided for sinners ? 
 Where shall I see it most distinctly ? Shall 
 I go to the general declarations of the Bible 
 about God's mercy ? Shall I rest in the gen- 
 eral truth that God is a God of love ? Oh ! 
 no! I will look at the cross of Christ. I 
 find no evidence like that. I find no balm 
 for a sore conscience and a troubled heart, 
 like the sight of Jesus dying for me on the 
 accursed tree. There I see that a full pay- 
 ment has been made for all my enormous 
 debts. The curse of that law which I have 
 broken has come down on One who there 
 suffered in my stead. The demands of that 
 law are all satisfied. Payment has been made 
 for me, even to the uttermost farthing. It 
 will not be required twice over. Ah ! I might 
 
 * "If God hateth sin so much that he would allow neither 
 man nor angel for the redemption thereof, but- only the 
 death of his only and well-beloved Son, who will not stand 
 in fear thereof?" — Church of England Homily for Good 
 Friday. 1560. 
 
sometimes imagine I was too bad to be for- 
 given. My own heart sometimes whispers 
 that I am too wicked to be saved. But I 
 know in my better moments this is all my 
 foolish unbelief. I read an answer to my 
 doubts in the blood shed on Calvary. I feel 
 sure that there is a way to heaven for the 
 very vilest of men, when I look at the cross. 
 Would I find strong reasons for being a holy 
 man f Whither shall I turn for them ? Shall 
 I listen to the ten commandments merely? 
 Shall I study the examples given me in the 
 Bible of what grace can do ? Shall I medi- 
 tate on the rewards of heaven, and the pun- 
 ishments of hell? Is there no stronger motive 
 still ? Yes ! I will look at the cross of Christ. 
 There I see the love of Christ constraining 
 me to live not unto myself, but unto Him. 
 There I see that I am not my own now ; — I 
 am bought with a price. I am bound by the 
 most solemn obligations to glorify Jesus with 
 body and spirit, which are His. There I see 
 that Jesus gave himself for me, not only to 
 redeem me from all iniquity, but also to 
 
"what think you of the ceoss?" 289 
 
 purify me and make me one of a peculiar 
 people, zealous of good works. He bore my 
 sins in his own body on the tree, that I being 
 dead unto sin should live unto righteousness. 
 Ah ! reader, there is nothing so sanctifying as 
 a clear view of the cross of Christ ! It cru- 
 cifies the world unto us, and us unto the 
 world. How can we love sin when we re- 
 member that because of our sins Jesus died? 
 Surely none ought to be so holy as the dis- 
 ciples of a crucified Lord. 
 
 Would I learn hoiv to he contented and cheer- 
 ful under all the cares and anxieties of life ? 
 What school shall I go to ? How shall I attain 
 this state of mind most easily ? Shall I look 
 at the sovereignty of God, the wisdom of God, 
 the providence of God, the love of God ? It 
 is well to do so. But I have a better argu- 
 ment still. I will look at the cross of Christ. 
 I feel that He who spared not His only begot- 
 ten Son, but delivered Him up to die for me, 
 will surely with Him give me all things that I 
 really need. He that endured that pain for 
 my soul, will surely not withhold from me 
 
 19 
 
anything that is really good. He that has 
 done the greater things for me, will doubtless 
 do the lesser things also. He that gave His 
 own blood to procure me a home, will un- 
 questionably supply me with all really profit- 
 able for me by the way. Ah ! reader, there 
 is no school for learning contentment that can 
 be compared with the foot of the cross. 
 
 Would I gather arguments for hoping that I 
 shall never be cast away ? Where shall I go to 
 find them? Shall I look at my own graces 
 and gifts ? Shall I take comfort in my own 
 faith, and love, and penitence, and zeal, and 
 prayer ? Shall I turn to my own heart, and 
 say, " this same heart will never be false and 
 cold ?" Oh ! no ! God forbid ! I will look at 
 the cross of Christ. This is my grand argu- 
 ment. This is my main stay. I cannot think 
 that He who went through such sufferings to 
 redeem my soul, will let that soul perish after 
 all, when it has once cast itself on Him. Oh ! 
 no ! what Jesus paid for, Jesus will surely 
 keep. He paid dearly for it. He will not let 
 it easily be lost. He died for me when I was 
 
yet a dark sinner. He will never forsake me 
 after I have believed. All ! reader, when 
 Satan tempts you to doubt whether Christ's 
 people will be kept from falling, you should 
 tell Satan to look at the cross.* 
 
 And now, reader, will you marvel that I 
 said all Christians ought to glory in tbe cross ? 
 Will you not rather wonder that any can hear 
 of the cross and remain unmoved ? I declare 
 I know no greater proof of man's depravity, 
 than the fact that thousands of so-called Chris- 
 tians see nothing in the cross. Well may our 
 hearts be called stony, — well may the eyes of 
 our mind be called blind, — well may our whole 
 nature be called diseased, — well may we all 
 be called dead, when the cross of Christ is 
 heard of, and yet neglected. Surely we may 
 take up the words of the prophet, and say, 
 " Hear heavens, and be astonished earth ; 
 
 * " The believer is so freed from eternal wrath, that if 
 Satan aud cooscieuce say, " thou art a sinner, and under the 
 curse of the law," he can say, it is true, I am a sinner, but I 
 was hanged on a tree and died, and was made a curse in my 
 Head and Lawgiver Christ, aud his payment and suffering 
 is my payment and suffering." — Rutherford's Christ Dying. 
 1647. 
 
a wonderful and a horrible thing is done," — 
 Christ was crucified for sinners, and yet many 
 Christians live as if He was never crucified at 
 all! 
 
 Header, the cross is the grand peculiarity of 
 the Christian religion. Other religions have 
 laws and moral precepts, — forms and ceremo- 
 nies, — rewards and punishments. But other 
 religions cannot tell us of a dying Saviour. 
 They cannot show ns the cross. This is the 
 crown and glory of the Gospel. This is that 
 special comfort which belongs to it alone. 
 Miserable indeed is that religious teaching 
 which calls itself Christian, and yet contains 
 nothing of the cross. A man who teaches in 
 this way, might as well profess to explain the 
 solar system, and yet tell his hearers nothing 
 about the sun. 
 
 The cross is the strength of a minister. I for 
 one would not be without it for all the world. 
 I should feel like a soldier without arms, — like 
 an artist without his pencil, — like a pilot Avith- 
 out his compass, — like a laborer without his 
 tools. Let others, if they will, preach the law 
 
and morality. Let others bold forth the ter- 
 rors of hell, and the joys of heaven. Let 
 others drench their congregations with teach- 
 ings about the sacraments and the church. 
 Give me the cross of Christ. This is the only 
 lever which has .ever turned the world upside 
 down hitherto, and made men forsake their 
 sins. And if this will not, nothing will. A 
 man may begin preaching with a perfect know- 
 ledge of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. But he 
 will do little or no good among his hearers 
 unless he knows something of the cross. Never 
 was there a minister who did much for the 
 conversion of souls who did not dwell much 
 on Christ crucified. Luther, Eutherford, 
 Whitefield, M'Cheyne, were all most eminently 
 preachers of the cross. This is the preaching 
 that the Holy Ghost delights to bless. He 
 loves to honor those who honor the cross. 
 
 The cross is the secret of all missionary success. 
 Nothing but this has ever moved the hearts of 
 the heathen. Just according as this has been 
 lifted up missions have prospered. This is 
 the weapon that has won victories over hearts 
 
294 *'WHAT THINK YOtJ OF THE CROSS?" 
 
 of every kind, in every quarter of the globe. 
 Greenlanders, Africans, South-Sea Islanders, 
 Hindoos, Chinese, all have alike felt its power. 
 Just as that huge iron tube which crosses the 
 Menai Straits, is more affected and bent by 
 half an hour's sunshine than by all the dead 
 weight that can be placed in it, so in like 
 manner the hearts of savages have melted be- 
 fore the cross, when every other argument 
 seemed to move them no more than stones. 
 "Brethren," said a North American Indian 
 after his conversion, *' I have been a heathen. 
 I know how heathens think. Once a preach- 
 er came and began to explain to us that there 
 was a God ; but we told him to return to the 
 place from whence he came. Another preach- 
 er came and told us not to lie, nor steal, nor 
 drink; but we did not heed him. At last 
 another came into my hut one day and said, 
 ' I am come to you in the name of the Lord 
 of heaven and earth. He sends to let you 
 know that He will make you happy, and de- 
 liver you from misery. For this end He be- 
 came a man, gave His life a ransom, and shed 
 
His blood for sinners.' I could not forget his 
 words. I told them to the other Indians, and 
 an awakening begun among us." I say there- 
 fore, preach the sufferings and death of Christ, 
 our Saviour, if you wish your words to gain 
 entrance among the heathen. Never indeed 
 did the devil triumph so thoroughly, as when 
 he persuaded the Jesuit missionaries in China 
 to keep back the story of the cross I 
 
 The cross is the foundation of a church's pros- 
 perity. No church will ever be honored in 
 which Christ crucified is not continually lifted 
 ap. Nothing whatever can make up for the 
 want of the cross. Without it all things may 
 be done decently and in order. Without it 
 there may be splendid ceremonies, beautiful 
 music, gorgeous churches, learned ministers, 
 crowded communion tables, huge collections for 
 the poor. But without the cross no good will 
 be done. Dark hearts will not be enlightened. 
 Proud hearts will not be humbled. Mourning 
 hearts will not be comforted. Fainting hearts 
 will not be cheered. Sermons about the Catho- 
 lic Church and an apostolic ministry, — sermons 
 
296 "what think you of the cross?" 
 
 about baptism and the Lord's supper, — ser- 
 mons about unity and scbism, — sermons about 
 fasts and communion, — sermons about fathers 
 and saints, — such sermons will never make up 
 for the absence of sermons about the cross of 
 Christ. They may amuse some. They will 
 feed none. A gorgeous banqueting room and 
 splendid gold plate on the table will never 
 make up to a hungry man for the want of 
 food. Christ crucified is God's grand ordi- 
 nance for doing good to men. Whenever a 
 church keeps back Christ crucified, or puts 
 anything whatever in that foremost place 
 which Christ crucified should always have, 
 from that moment a church ceases to be use- 
 ful. Without Christ crucified in her pulpits, 
 a church is little better than a cumberer of the 
 ground, a dead carcass, a well without water, 
 a barren fig tree, a sleeping watchman, a silent 
 trumpet, a dumb witness, an ambassador with • 
 out terms of peace, a messenger without tid- 
 ings, a lighthouse without fire, a stumbling- 
 block to weak believers, a comfort to infidels, 
 
"what think you of the ckoss?" 297 
 
 a hot-bed for formalism, a joy to the devil, and 
 an offence to God. 
 
 The cross is the grand centime of union among 
 true Christians. Our outward differences are 
 many without doubt. One man is an Episco- 
 palian, another is a Presbyterian, — one is an 
 Independent, another a Baptist, — one is a Cal- 
 vinist, another an Armenian, — one is a Lu- 
 theran, another a Plymouth brother, — one is a 
 friend to establishments, another a friend to 
 the voluntary system, — one is a friend to litur- 
 gies, another a friend to extempore prayer. 
 But after all, what shall we hear about most 
 of these differences in heaven ? Nothing, most 
 probably : nothing at all. Does a man really 
 and sincerely glory in the cross of Christ? That 
 is the grand question. If he does, he is my 
 brother ; — we are travelling in the same road. 
 We are journeying towards a home where 
 Christ is all, and everything outward in reli- 
 gion will be forgotten. But if he does not 
 glory in the cross of Christ, I cannot feel com- 
 fort about him. Union on outward points only 
 is union only for time. — Union about the cross 
 
208 "what think you of the ceoss?" 
 
 is union for eternity. Error on outward points 
 is only a skin-deep disease. Error about the 
 cross is disease at tbe heart. Union about out- 
 ward points is a mere man-made union. Union 
 about the cross of Christ can only be pro- 
 duced by the Holy Ghost. 
 
 Eeader, I know not what you think of all 
 this. I feel as if I had said nothing compared 
 to what might be said. I feel as if the half 
 of what I desire to tell you about the cross 
 were left untold. But I do hope that I have 
 given you something to think about. I do 
 trust that I have shown you that I have reason 
 for the question with which I began this tract, 
 " What do you think and feel about the cross 
 of Christ ?" Listen to me now for a few mo- 
 ments, while I say something to apply the 
 whole subject to your conscience. 
 
 ^re you living in any kind of sin f Are you 
 following the course of this world, and neg- 
 lecting your soul ? Hear, I beseech you, what 
 I say to you this day: " Behold the cross of 
 Christ." See there how Jesus loved you ! 
 See there what Jesus suffered to prepare for 
 
"what think you of the cross?" 299 
 
 you a way of salvation ! Yes ! careless men 
 and women, for you that blood was shed ! 
 For you those hands and feet were pierced 
 with nails ! For you that body hung in agony 
 on the cross ! You are those whom Jesus 
 loved, and for whom He died ! Surely that 
 love ought to melt you. Surely the thought 
 of the cross should draw you to repentance. 
 Oh ! that it might be so this very day. Oh ! 
 that you would come at once to that Saviour 
 who died for you, and is willing to save. 
 Come and cry to Him with the prayer of faith, 
 and I know that He will listen. Come and 
 la}'^ hold upon the cross, and I know that He 
 will not cast you out. Come and believe on 
 Him who died on the cross, and this very day 
 you shall have eternal life. How will you 
 ever escape if you neglect so great salvation ? 
 jSTone surely will be so deep in hell as those 
 who despise the cross ! 
 
 Are you inquiring the way toward heaven? 
 Are you seeking salvation, but doubtful whe- 
 ther you can find it ? Are you desiring to 
 have an interest in Christ, but doubting whe- 
 
ther Christ will receive you? To you also I 
 say this day, ''Behold the cross of Christ." 
 Here is encouragement if you really want it. 
 Draw near to the Lord Jesus with boldness, 
 for nothing need keep you back. His arms are 
 open to receive you. His heart is full of love 
 towards you. He has made a way by which 
 you may approach him with confidence. Think 
 of the cross. Draw near, and fear not. 
 
 Are you an unlearned man ? Are you desir- 
 ous to get to heaven, and yet perplexed and 
 brought to a stand-still by difl&culties in the 
 Bible which you cannot explain ? To you 
 also I say this day, "Behold the cross of 
 Christ." Eead there the Father's love and 
 the Son's compassion. Surely they are writ- 
 ten in great plain letters, which none can 
 well mistake. What though you are now 
 perplexed by the doctrine of election ? What 
 though at present you cannot reconcile your 
 own utter corruption and your own responsi- 
 bility ? Look, I say, at the cross. Does not 
 that cross tell you that Jesus is a mighty, 
 loving, ready Saviour? Does it not make 
 
one thing plain, and that is that if not saved 
 it is all your own fault? Oh ! get hold of 
 that truth, and hold it fast. 
 
 Are you a distressed believer f Is your heart 
 pressed down with sickness, tired with disap- 
 pointments, overburdened with cares ? To you 
 also I say this day, "Behold the cross of 
 Christ." Think whose hand it is that chas- 
 tens you. Think whose hand is measuring 
 to you the cup of bitterness which you are 
 now drinking. It is the hand of Him that 
 was crucified. It is the same hand that in 
 love to your soul was nailed to the accursed 
 tree. Surely that thought should comfort 
 and hearten you. Surely you should say to 
 yourself, " A crucified Saviour will never lay 
 upon me anything that is not good for me. 
 There is a needs be. It must be well." 
 
 Are you a heliever that longs to he more holy ? 
 Are you one that finds his heart too ready to 
 love earthly things? To you also I say, "Be- 
 hold the cross of Christ." Look at the cross. 
 Think of the cross. Meditate on the cross, 
 and then go and set affections on the world if 
 
you can. I believe that holiness is nowhere 
 learned so well as on Calvary. I believe you 
 cannot look much at the cross without feeling 
 your will sanctified, and your tastes made 
 more spiritual. As the sun, gazed upon, makes 
 everything else look dark and dim, so does 
 the cross darken the false splendor of this 
 world. As honey tasted makes all other 
 things seem to have no taste at all, so does 
 the cross seen by faith take all the sweetness 
 out of the pleasures of the world. Keep on 
 every day steadily looking at the cross of 
 Christ, and you will soon say of the world as 
 the poet does, — 
 
 " Its pleasures now no longer please, 
 No more content afford ; 
 Far from my heart be joys like these, 
 Now I have seen the Lord. 
 
 As by the liglit of opening day 
 
 The stars are all conceal'd, 
 So earthly pleasures fade away 
 
 When Jesus is reveal'd." 
 
 Are you a dying believer? Have you gone to 
 that bed from which something within tells 
 you, you will never come down alive ? Are 
 
you drawing near to that solemn hour when 
 soul and body must part for a season, and you 
 must launch into a world unknown ? Oh ! 
 look steadily at the cross of Christ, and you 
 shall be kept in peace. Fix the eyes of your 
 mind firmly on Jesus crucified, and He shall 
 deliver you from all your fears. Though you 
 walk through dark places. He will be with 
 you. He will never leave you, — never forsake 
 you. Sit under the shadow of the cross to 
 the very last, and its fruit shall be sweet to 
 your taste. " Ah !" said a dying missionary, 
 " there is but one thing needful on a death- 
 bed, and that is to feel one's arms round the 
 
 57 
 
 cross. 
 
 Eeader, I lay these thoughts before your 
 mind. What you think now about the cross 
 of Christ, I cannot tell ; but I can wish you 
 nothing better than this, that you may be 
 able to say with the apostle Paul, before you 
 die or meet the Lord, " God forbid that I 
 should glory save in the cross of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ." 
 
" I am now ready to "be offered, and the time of my de- 
 parture is at hand. 
 
 " I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, 
 I have kept the faith : 
 
 " Henceforth there is laid up for me a cro"wn of right- 
 eousness, -which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall 
 give me at that day ; and not to me only, hut unto 
 all them also that love his appearing." — 2 Tim. iv. 6, 
 7, 8. 
 
 In these words you see the Apostle Paul 
 looking three ways, — downward, backward, 
 forward ; — downward to the grave, — back- 
 ward to his own ministry, — forward to that 
 great day, the day of judgment. 
 
 Let us stand by his side a few minutes, and 
 mark the words he uses. Happy is that soul 
 among us who can look where Paul looked, 
 and then speak as Paul spoke. 
 
 He looks downiuard to the grave, and he 
 does it without fear. Hear what he says. 
 
 " I am ready to be offered." I am like an 
 
"have you assurance?" 
 
 305 
 
 animal brought to the place of sacrifice, and 
 bound with cords to the very horns of the al- 
 tar. The wine and oil have been poured on 
 my head, according to the custom. The last 
 ceremonies have been gone through. Every 
 preparation has been made. It only remains 
 to receive the death-blow, and then all is 
 over. 
 
 " The time of my departure is at hand." I 
 am like a ship about to unmoor, and put to 
 sea. All on board is ready. I only wait to 
 have the moorings cast off that fasten me to 
 the shore, and I shall then set sail, and begin 
 my voyage. 
 
 Brethren, these are glorious words to come 
 from the lips of a child of Adam like our- 
 selves. Death is a solemn thing, and never 
 so much so as when we see it close at hand. 
 The grave is a chilly, heart-sickening place, 
 and it is vain to pretend it has no terrors. 
 Yet here is a mortal man, who can look calm- 
 ly iilto the narrow house appointed for all liv- 
 ing, and say, while he stands upon the brink, 
 " I see it all, and am not afraid." 
 
 20 
 
306 "have you ASSrRAKCE?" 
 
 Let us listen to him again. He looks hack- 
 loard to his ministerial life, and he does it 
 without shame. Hear what he says : 
 
 " I have fought a good fight." There he 
 speaks as a soldier. I have fought that good 
 battle with the world, the flesh, and the devil, 
 from which so many shrink and draw back. 
 
 '' I have finished my course." There he 
 speaks as one who has run for a prize. I have 
 run the race marked out for me. I have gone 
 over the ground appointed for me, however 
 rough and steep. I have not turned aside be- 
 cause of diflS.culties, nor been discouraged by 
 the length of the way. I am at last in sight 
 of the goal. 
 
 " I have kept the faith." There he speaks 
 as a steward. I have held fast that glorious 
 Gospel, which was committed to my trust. I 
 have not mingled it with man's traditions, nor 
 spoiled its simplicity by adding my own in- 
 ventions, nor allowed others to adulterate it 
 without withstanding them to the face. " As 
 a soldier, — a runner, — a steward," he seems 
 to say, " I am not ashamed." 
 
"have you assueance?" 
 
 307 
 
 Bretliren, that Christian is happy, who, as 
 he quits this world, can leave such testimony 
 behind him. A good conscience will save no 
 man, — wash away no sin, — nor lift us one 
 hair's breadth toward heaven. Yet, a good 
 conscience will be found a pleasant visitor at 
 our bedside in a dying hour. Do you remem- 
 ber that place in Pilgrim's Progress, which de- 
 scribes Old Honest's passage across the river 
 of death ? " The river," says Bunyan, " at that 
 time overflowed its banks in some places ; but 
 Mr. Honest in his life-time had spoken to one 
 Good Conscience to meet him there ; the 
 which he also did, and lent him his hand, and 
 so helped him over." Believe me, there is a 
 mine of truth in that passage. 
 
 Let us hear the Apostle once more. He 
 looks forward to the great day of reckoning, 
 and he does it without doubt. Mark his 
 words : 
 
 " Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown 
 of righteousness, which the Lord, the right- 
 eous Judge, shall give me at that day ; and 
 not to me only, but unto all them also that 
 
love his appearing." A glorious reward, he 
 seems to say, is ready and laid up in store for 
 me, even that crown which is only given to 
 the righteous. In the great day of judgment 
 the Lord shall give this crown to me, and to 
 all besides me who have loved Him as an un- 
 seen Saviour, and longed to see Him face to 
 face. My work on earth is over. This one 
 thing now remains for me to look forward to, 
 and nothing more. 
 
 You see, brethren, he speaks without any 
 hesitation or distrust. He regards the crown 
 as a sure thing, as his own already. He 
 declares with unfaltering confidence his firm 
 persuasion, that the righteous Judge will give 
 it to him. Paul was no stranger to all the 
 circumstances and accompaniments of that 
 solemn day to which he referred. The great 
 white throne, — the assembled world, — the open 
 books, — the revealing of all secrets, — the lis- 
 tening angels, — the awfal sentence, — the eter- 
 nal separation of the lost and saved, — all these 
 were things with which he was well acquaint- 
 ed. But none of these things moved him. His 
 
strong faith overleaped them all, and only saw 
 Jesus, his all-prevailing Advocate, and the 
 blood of sprinkling, and sin washed away. 
 " A crown," he says, " is laid np for me." 
 " The Lord Himself shall give it to me." He 
 speaks as if he saw it all with his own eyes. 
 
 Such are the main things which these verses 
 contain. Of most of them I cannot pretend 
 to speak, for time would not allow me. I 
 shall only try to set before you one point in 
 the passage, and that is, "the assured hope" 
 with which the Apostle looks forward to his 
 own prospects in the day of judgment. 
 
 I shall do this the more readily, because of 
 the great importance which I feel attaches to 
 the subject, and the great neglect with which, 
 I humbly conceive, it is often treated in this 
 day. 
 
 But I shall do it at the same time with fear 
 and trembling. I feel that I am treading on 
 very difficult ground, and that it is easy to 
 speak rashly and unscripturally in this matter. 
 The road between truth and error is here es- 
 pecially a narrow pass ; and if I shall be en- 
 
I 
 
 310 " HAVE YOU ASSUKANCE ?" 
 
 abled to do good to some without doing harm, 
 to others, I shall be very thankful. 
 
 'Now there are four things I wish to bring 
 before you in speaking of this subject, and it 
 may clear our way perhaps if I name them 
 to you at once. 
 
 I. — First, then, I will try to show you an 
 assured hoj)e, such as Paul here expresses, is a 
 true and Scriptural thing. 
 
 II. — Secondly, I will make this broad con- 
 cession, that a man may never arrive at this as- 
 sured hope^ and yet he saved. 
 
 III. — Thirdly, I will give you some reasons 
 why an assured hope is exceedingly to be desired. 
 
 IV. — Lastly, I will try to point out some 
 causes why an assured hope is so seldom attained. 
 
 I. — First, then, I said, an assured hope is a 
 true and Scriptural thing. 
 
 Assurance, such as Paul expresses in our 
 text, is not a mere fancy or feeling. It is not 
 the result of high animal spirits, or a san- 
 guine temperament of body. It is a positive 
 gift of the Holy Ghost, bestowed without ref- 
 
 i— - 
 
erence to men's bodily frames or constitutions, 
 and a gift which every believer in Christ 
 should aim at and seek after. 
 
 The word of God appears to me to teach, 
 that a believer may arrive at an assured confi- 
 dence with regard to his own salvation. 
 
 I would lay it down fully and broadly, that 
 a true Christian, a converted man, may reach 
 that comfortable degree of faith in Christ, that 
 in general he shall feel entirely confident as to 
 the pardon and safety of his soul, — shall sel- 
 dom be troubled with doubts, — seldom be dis- 
 tracted with hesitation, — seldom be distressed 
 by anxious questionings, — and, in short, though 
 vexed by many an inward conflict with sin, 
 shall look forward to death without trembling, 
 and to judgment without dismay.* 
 
 Such is my account of assurance. I will 
 ask you to mark it v/ell. I say neither less 
 nor more than I have here laid down. 
 
 * " Full assurance that Christ hath delivered Paul from 
 condemnation, yea, so full and real, as produceth thanksgiv- 
 ing and triumphing in Christ, may and doth consist with 
 complaints and outcries of a wretched condition for the in- 
 
Now such a statement as this, is often dis- 
 puted and denied. Many cannot see it at all. 
 
 The Church of Kome denounces assurance 
 in the most unmeasured terms. The Council 
 of Trent declare roundly that, a " believer's 
 assurance of the pardon of his sins is a vain 
 and ungodly confidence ;" and Cardinal Bel- 
 larmine, the well-known champion of Koman- 
 ism, calls it "a prime error of heretics." 
 
 The vast majority of the worldly among 
 ourselves oppose the doctrine of assurance. It 
 offends and annoys them to hear of it. They 
 do not like others to feel comfortable and sure, 
 because they never feel so themselves. That 
 they cannot receive it, is certainly no marvel. 
 
 But there are also some true believers who 
 reject assurance, or shrink from it as a notion 
 fraught with danger. They consider it bor- 
 ders on presumption. They seem to think it 
 a proper humility never to be confident, and 
 to live in a certain degree of doubt. This is 
 to be regretted, and does much harm. 
 
 dwelling of the body of sin." — Rutherford's Triumph of 
 Faith. 1645. 
 
I frankly allow there are some presumptu- 
 ous persons, who profess to feel a confidence, 
 for which they have no Scriptural warrant. 
 There always are some people who think well 
 of themselves when God thinks ill, just as 
 there are some who think ill of themselves 
 when God thinks well. There always will be 
 such. There never yet was a Scriptural truth 
 without abuser, imposition, and counterfeits. 
 God's election, — man's impotence, — salvation 
 by grace,— are all alike abused. There will 
 be fan.'scics and enthusiasts as long as the 
 world stands. But, for all this, assurance is a 
 real, sober, and true thing ; and God's chil- 
 dren must not let themselves be driven from 
 ihe use of a truth, merely because it is 
 abused.* 
 
 * " We do not vindicate every vain pretender to ' the 
 witness of the Spirit ;' we are aware that there are those in 
 whose professions of religion we can see nothing but their 
 forwardness and confidence to recommend them. But let us 
 not reject any doctrine of revelation through an over-anxious 
 fear of consequences." — Robinson's Christian System. 
 
 " True assurance is built upon a Scripture basis : — pre- 
 sumption hath no Scripture to show for its warrant; it is 
 like a will without seal and witnesses, which is null and void 
 
314: "have you assurance?" 
 
 My answer to all wlio deny the existence 
 of real, well-grounded assurance, is simply 
 this, — What saith the Scripture ? If assurance 
 be not there, I have not another word to say. 
 
 But does not Job say, •' I know that my Ee- 
 deemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the 
 latter day upon the earth ; and though after 
 my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my 
 flesh shall I see God." (Job, xix. 25, 26.) 
 
 Does not David say, "Though I walk through 
 the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear 
 no evil, for thou art with me ; thy rod and thy 
 staff they comfort me." (Psalm xxiii. 4."^^ 
 
 in law : presumption wants both the witness of the w^rd, 
 and the seal of the Spirit. Assurance always keeps ti>,e 
 heart in a lowly posture ; but presumption is bred of pridt 
 Feathers fly up, but gold descends ; he who hath this golden 
 assurance, his heart descends in humility." — ]Vat.so7i's Body 
 of Divinity. 1650. 
 
 " Presumption is joined with looseness of life ; persuasion 
 with a tender conscience : that ■dia.ves sin because it is sure, 
 this does not for fear of losing assurance. Persuasion will 
 not sin, because it cost her Saviour so dear ; presumption 
 will sin, because grace doth abound. Humility is the way 
 to heaven. They that are proudly secure of their going to 
 heaven, do not so often come thither, as they that are afraid 
 of going to hell." — Andrews on ii, Peter. 1633. 
 
"have you assueance?" 315 
 
 Does not Isaiah say, " Thou wilt keep him. 
 in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, 
 because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah, xxvi. 8.) 
 
 And again, " The work of righteousness 
 shall be peace, and the effect of righteous- 
 ness quietness and assurance forever." (Isaiah, 
 xxxii. 17.) 
 
 Does not Paul say to the Eomans, " I am 
 persuaded that neither life, nor death, nor an- 
 gels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things 
 present, nor things to come ; nor height, nor 
 depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to 
 separate us from the love of God, which is in 
 Christ Jesus our Lord." (Eom. viii. 88, 89.) 
 
 Does he not say to the Corinthians, " We 
 know that if our earthly house of this taber- 
 nacle were dissolved, we have a building of 
 God, an house not made with hands, eternal 
 in the heavens." (2 Cor. v. 1.) 
 
 And again, " We are always confident^ know- 
 ing that whilst we are at home in the body, 
 we are absent from the Lord." (2 Cor. v. 6.) 
 
 Does he not say to Timothy, " I know whom" 
 I have believed, and am persuaded that he is 
 
316 "have you assurance?" 
 
 able to keep tliat which I have committed to 
 him." (2 Tim. i. 12.) 
 
 And does he not speak to the Colossians of 
 " the full assurance of understanding" (Coloss. 
 ii. 2) ; and to the Hebrews of the " full assu- 
 rance of faith," and the " full assurance of 
 hope." (Heb. vi. 11, and x. 22.) 
 
 Does not Peter say expressly, " Give dili 
 gence to make your calling and election swre." 
 (2 Peter, i. 10.) 
 
 Does not John say, " We know that we have 
 passed from death unto life." (1 John, iii. 14.) 
 
 And again, " These things have I written 
 unto you that believe on the name of the Son 
 of God, that ye may know that ye have eter- 
 nal life." (1 John, v. 13.) 
 
 And again, "We know that we are of God." 
 (1 John, V. 19.) 
 
 Brethren, what shall we say to these things ? 
 I desire to speak with all humility on any con- 
 troverted point. I feel that I am only a poor 
 fallible child of Adam myself. But I must 
 say, that in the passages I have just quoted, I 
 see something far higher than the mere " hopes" 
 
and " trusts" witli wJhicli so many believers ap- 
 pear content in this day. I see the language 
 of persuasion, confidence, knowledge, — nay, I 
 may almost say, of certainty. And I feel, for 
 my own part, if I may take these Scriptures 
 in their plain obvious meaning, assurance is 
 true. 
 
 But my answer furthermore to all who dis- 
 like the doctrine of assurance, as bordering on 
 presumption, is this : — It can hardly be pre- 
 sumption to tread in the steps of Peter, and 
 Paul, of Job, and of John. They were all 
 eminently humble and lowly-minded men, if 
 ever any were ; and yet they all speak of their 
 own state with an assured hope. Surely this 
 should teach us that deep humility and strong 
 assurance are perfectly compatible, and that 
 there is not any necessary connection between 
 spiritual confidence and pride.^ 
 
 My answer furthermore is, that many have 
 attained to such an assured hope as our text 
 
 * " They are quite mistaken that think faith and humiUty 
 are inconsistent ; they not only agree well together, but they 
 cannot be parted." — TrailL 
 
expresses, even in modern times. I would not 
 concede for a moment that it was a peculiar 
 privilege confined to the apostolic day. There 
 have been in our own land many believers 
 who have appeared to walk in almost uninter- 
 rupted fellowship with the Father and the Son, 
 who have seemed to enjoy an almost unceas- 
 ing sense of the light of God's reconciled 
 countenance shining down upon them, and 
 have left their experience on record. I could 
 mention well-known names, if time permitted. 
 The thing has been, and is, — and that is 
 enough. 
 
 My answer, lastly, is, it cannot be wrong to 
 feel confidently in a matter where God speaks 
 unconditionally, — to believe decidedly when 
 God promises decidedly, — to have a sure per- 
 suasion of pardon and peace, when we rest on 
 the word and oath of Him that never changes. 
 It is an utter mistake to suppose that the be- 
 liever who feels assurance is resting on any- 
 thing he sees in himself He simply leans on 
 the Mediator of the New Covenant, and the 
 Scripture of truth. He believes the Lord Je- 
 
"have you assurance?" 319 
 
 sus means what He says, and takes Him at 
 His word. Assurance after all is no more 
 than a fall-grown faith, — a masculine faith 
 that grasps Christ's promise with both hands, 
 — a faith that argues like the good centurion, 
 if the Lord ''speak the word only," I am 
 healed. Wherefore then should I doubt?* 
 (Matt. viii. 8.) 
 
 Brethren, depend upon it, Paul was the last 
 man in the world to build his assurance on 
 
 *. " To be assured of oxir salvation," Augustine saith, '* is 
 no arrogant stoutness ; it is our faith. It is no pride ; it is 
 devotion. It is no presumption ; it is God's promise." — 
 Bishop JewelVs Defence of the Apology. 1570. 
 
 " If the ground of our assurance rested in and on our- 
 selves, it might justly be called presumption ; but the Lord 
 and the power of His might being the ground thereof, they 
 either know not what is the might of His power, or else too 
 lightly esteem it, who account assured confidence thereon 
 presumption." — Gouge's Whole Armor of God. 1647. 
 
 " Upon what ground is this certainty built ? Surely not 
 upon anything that is in us. Our assurance of perseverance 
 is grovmded wholly upon God. If we look upon ourselves, 
 we see cause of fear and doubting ; but if we look up to 
 God, we shall find cause enough for assurance." — Hildersani 
 on iy. John. 1632. 
 
 " Our hope is not himg upon such an untwisted thread as, 
 ' I imagine so,' or, ' it is likely ;' but the cable, the strong 
 rope of our fastened anchor, is the oath and promise of Him 
 
anything of his own. He, who could write 
 himself down "chief of sinners," (1 Tim. i. 15) 
 had a deep sense of his own guilt and corrup- 
 tion ; but then he had a still deeper sense of 
 the length and breadth of Christ's righteous- 
 ness imputed to him. He, who would cry, "0 
 wretched man that I am," (Kom. vii. 24) had 
 a clear view of the fountain of evil within 
 his heart ; but then he had a still clearer 
 view of that other fountain, which can remove 
 all sin and uncleanness. He, who thought 
 himself " less than the least of all saints," 
 (Ephes. iii. 8) had a lively and abiding feeling 
 of his own weakness ; but he had a still live- 
 lier feeling that Christ's promise, " My sheep 
 shall never perish," (John, x. 28) could not be 
 broken. Paul knew, if ever man did, that he 
 was a poor, frail bark, floating on a stormy 
 ocean. He saw, if any did, the rolling waves 
 and roaring tempest by which he was surround* 
 
 who is eternal verity ; our salvation is fastened with God's 
 own hand, and Christ's own strength, to the strong stake of 
 God's unchangeable nature." — Rutherford's Letters. 1637. 
 
 (These precious letters are published by R. Carter &, Bro- 
 thers.) 
 
'•HAVE YOU ASSURANCE?" 321 
 
 ed. But then he looked away from self to Je- 
 sus, and was not afraid. He remembered that 
 anchor within the veil, which is both sure and 
 steadfast. He remembered the word and work, 
 and constant intercession of Him that loved 
 him and gave Himself for him. And this it 
 was, and nothing else, that enabled him to say 
 so boldly, "A crown is laid up for me, and the 
 Lord shall give it to me," and to conclude so 
 surely, "The Lord will preserve me, I shall 
 never be confounded."* 
 
 I may not dwell longer on this part of the 
 subject. I think you will allow I have shown 
 ground for the assertion I made, that assur- 
 rance is a true thing. 
 
 IL I pass on to the second thing I spoke 
 of: I said, a believer may never arrive at this 
 
 * " Nevei' did a believer ia Jesus Christ die or drown in 
 his voyage to heaven. They will all be found safe and sound 
 with the Lamb on Mount Zion. Christ loseth none of them; 
 yea, nothing of them. (John, vi. 39.) Not a bone of a be- 
 liever is to be seen in the field of battle. They are all more 
 than conquerors through Him that loved them." (Rom. viii. 
 zn)— Traill. 
 
 21 
 
322 "have you assurance?" 
 
 assured liope^ which Paul expresses^ and yet he 
 saved. 
 
 I grant this most freely. I do not dispute 
 it for a moment. I would not desire to make 
 one contrite heart sad that God has not made 
 "sad, or to discourage one fainting child of 
 Grod, or to leave the impression that you have 
 no part or lot in Christ, except you feel 
 assurance. 
 
 A man may have saving faith in Christ, 
 and yet never enjoy an assured hope, like the 
 Apostle Paul. To believe and have a glim- 
 mering hope of acceptance is one thing; to 
 have joy and peace in our believing, and 
 abound in hope, is quite another. All God's 
 children have faith : not all have assurance. 
 I think this ought never to be forgotten. 
 
 I know some great and good men have 
 held a different opinion. I believe that ex- 
 cellent minister, Hervey, the author of Theron 
 and Aspasia, was one that did not allow the 
 distinction I have stated. But I desire to call 
 no man master. I dread as much as any one 
 the idea of healing the wounds of conscience 
 
slightly ; but I should think any other view 
 than that I have given, a most Tincomfortable 
 Gospel to preach, and one very likely to keep 
 souls back a long time from the gate of life. 
 
 I do not shrink from saying, that by grace 
 a man may have sufficient faith to flee to 
 Christ, — really to lay hold on Him, really to 
 trust in Him, — really to be a child of God, 
 ■ — really to be saved ; and yet to his last day 
 be never free from much anxiety, doubt, and 
 fear. 
 
 ''A letter," says an old writer, "may be 
 written, which is not sealed ; so grace may be 
 written in the heart, yet the Spirit may not 
 set the seal of assurance to it." 
 
 A child may be born heir to a great for- 
 tune, and yet never be aware of his riches, — 
 live childish, — die childish, and never know 
 the greatness of his possessions. 
 
 And so also a man may be a babe in Christ's 
 fa mi] 3^, — think as a babe, speak as a babe ; 
 and though saved, never enjoy a lively hope, 
 or know the real privileges of his inheritance. 
 
 Do not therefore, my brethren, mistake my 
 
meaning, while you hear me dwell strongly on 
 assurance. Do not do me the injustice to say, 
 I told you none were saved except such as 
 could say with Paul, " I know and am per- 
 suaded, — there is a crown laid up for me." I 
 do not say so. I tell you nothing of the 
 kind. 
 
 Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ a man must 
 have, beyond all question, if he is to be saved. 
 I know of no other way of access to the 
 Father. I see no intimation of mercy, ex- 
 cepting through Christ. A man must feel his 
 sins and lost estate, — must come to Jesus for 
 pardon and salvation, — must rest his hope on 
 Him and on Him alone. But if he only have 
 faith to do this, however weak and feeble that 
 fiiith may be, I will engage, from Scriptural 
 warrants, he shall not miss heaven. 
 
 Never, never let us curtail the freeness of 
 the glorious Grospel, or clip its fair propor- 
 tions. Never let us make the gate more strait 
 and the way more narrow than pride and 
 love of sin have made it already. The Lord 
 Jesus is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 
 
"have you assueance?" 325 
 
 He does not regard the quantity of faith, but 
 the quality, — He does not measure its degree, 
 but its truth. He will not break any bruised 
 reed, nor quench any smoking flax. He will 
 never let it be said that any perished at the 
 foot of the cross. " Him that cometh unto 
 me," He says, "I will in no wise cast out." 
 (John, vi. 87.)-^- 
 
 Yes ! brethren, though a man's faith be no 
 bigger than a grain of mustard-seed, — if it 
 only brings him to Christ, and enables him to 
 touch the hem of His garment, he shall be 
 saved, — saved as surely as the oldest saint in 
 paradise, — saved as completely and eternally 
 as Peter, or John, or Paul. There are degrees 
 in our sanctification. In our justification 
 there are none. What is written, is written, 
 and shall never fail ; " Whosoever belie veth 
 
 * " He that believetli on Jesus shall never be confounded. 
 iNever was any ; neither shall you, if you believe. It was a 
 great -word of faith spoken by a dying man, who had been 
 converted in a singular way, betwixt his condemnation and 
 execution : his last words were these, spoken with a mighty 
 shout, — ' never man perished with his face towards Jesus 
 Christ; ''—Traill 
 
on Him," — not whosoever has a strong and 
 mighty faith, — " Whosoever helieveth on Him 
 shall not be ashamed." (Rom. x. 11.) 
 
 But all this time, I would have you take 
 notice, the poor soul may have no full assur- 
 ance of his pardon and acceptance with God. 
 He may be troubled with fear upon fear, and 
 doubt upon doubt. He may have many a 
 question, and many an anxiety, — many a 
 struggle, and many a misgiving, — clouds and 
 darkness, — storm and tempest to the very 
 end. 
 
 I will engage, I repeat, that bare simple 
 faith in Christ shall save a man, though he 
 may never attain to assurance ; but I will not 
 engage it shall bring him to heaven with 
 strong and abounding consolations. I will 
 engage it shall land him safe in harbor, but I 
 will not engage he shall enter that harbor 
 under full, sail, confident and rejoicing. I 
 shall not be surprised if he reaches his de- 
 sired haven weather-beaten and tempest-tossed, 
 scarcely realizing his own safety till he opens 
 his eyes in glory. 
 
"hate yotj assurance?" 
 
 32T 
 
 Brethren, I believe it is of great importance 
 to keep in view this distinction between faith 
 and assurance. It explains things which an 
 inquirer in religion sometimes finds it hard 
 to understand. 
 
 Faith, let us remember, is the root, and as- 
 surance is the flower. Doubtless you can never 
 have the flower without the root ; — but it is 
 no less certain you may have the root and not 
 the flower. 
 
 Faith is that poor trembling vfoman that 
 came behind Jesus in the press, and touched 
 the hem of His garment; (Mark, v. 25) — Assu- 
 rance is Stephen standing calmly in the midst 
 of his murderers, and saying, " I see the heav- 
 ens opened, and the Son of man standing on 
 the right hand of God." (Acts, vii. 56.) 
 
 Faith is the penitent thief, crying, "Lord, 
 remember me ;" (Luke, xxiii. 42.) — Assurance 
 is Job sitting in the dust, covered with sores, 
 and saying, " I know that my Redeemer liv- 
 eth." (Job, xix. 25.) '^Though he slay me, 
 yet will I trust in him." (Job, xiii. 15.) 
 
 Faith is Peter's drowning cry, as he began 
 
328 "have you asstjeance?" 
 
 to sink, '' Lord, save me !" (Matt. xiv. 30.) — 
 Assurance is that same Peter declaring before 
 the council in after-times, "This is the stone 
 which was set at nought by you builders, 
 Avhich is become the head of the corner. Nei- 
 ther is there salvation in any other ; for there 
 is none other name under heaven given among 
 m'en whereby we must be saved." (Acts, iv. 
 11, 12.) 
 
 Faith is the anxious, trembling voice, "Lord, 
 I believe, help thou mine unbelief;" (Mark, 
 ix. 24.) — Assurance is the confident challenge, 
 " Who shall lay anything to the charge of 
 God's elect? Who is he that condemneth ?" 
 (Eom. viii. 33, 3.4.) 
 
 Faith is Saul praying in the house of Judas 
 at Damascus, sorrowful, blind, and alone; 
 (Acts, ix. 11.) — Assurance is Paul, the aged 
 prisoner, looking calmly into the grave, and 
 saying, "I know whom I have believed. 
 There is a crown laid up for me." (2 Tim. 
 i. 12 ; iv. 8.) 
 
 Faith is life. How great the blessing ! 
 Who can tell the gulf between life and death ? 
 
And yet life may be weak, sickly, unliealtliy, 
 painful, trying, anxious, worn, burdensome, 
 joyless, smileless to the very end. 
 
 Assurance is more tban life. It is health, 
 strength, power, vigor, activity, energy, man- 
 liness, beauty. 
 
 Brethren, it is not a question of saved or 
 not saved, that lies before us, but of 'privilege 
 or no privilege ; it is not a question of peace 
 or no peace, but of great peace or little peace ; 
 — it is not a question between the wanderers 
 of this world and the school of Christ, it is 
 one that belongs only to the school, — it is be- 
 tween the first form and the last. 
 
 He that hath faith does well. Happy should 
 I be if I thought you all had it. Blessed, 
 thrice blessed are they that believe. They 
 are safe. They are washed. They are justi- 
 fied. They are beyond the power of hell. 
 Satan, with all his malice, shall never pluck 
 them out of Christ's hand. 
 
 But he that has assurance does far better, — ■ 
 sees more, feels more, knows more, enjoys 
 more, has more days like those spoken of in 
 
330 "have you assurance?" 
 
 Deuteronomy, even "the days of heaven upon 
 the earth." (Deut. xi. 21.)* 
 
 III. — I pass on to the third thing of which 
 I spoke : I will give you some reasons why an 
 assm^ed hope is exceedingly to he desired. 
 
 I ask your attention to this point especially. 
 I heartily wish that assurance was more sought 
 after than it is. Too many among those who 
 believe begin doubting and go on doubting, 
 live doubting and die doubting, and go to 
 heaven in a kind of mist. 
 
 It will ill become me to speak in a slighting 
 way of " hopes" and "trusts," but I fear many 
 of us sit down content with them and go no 
 further. I should like to see fewer " perad- 
 ventures" in the Lord's family, and more who 
 could say, " I know and am persuaded." Oh! 
 
 * " The greatest thing that we caa desire, next to the 
 glory of God, is our own salvation ; and the sweetest thing 
 we can desire is the assurance of our salvation. In this Hfe 
 we cannot get higher, than to be assured of that which in 
 the next life is to be enjoyed. All saints shall enjoy a heaven 
 when they leave this earth ; some saints enjoy a heaven while 
 they are here on earth." — Joseph Caryl. 1653. 
 
J 
 
 "have you xiSSURANCE?" 831 
 
 that you would all covet the best gifts, and 
 not be content with less. You miss the full 
 tide of blessedness the Gospel was meant to 
 convey. You keep yourselves in a low and 
 starved condition of soul, while your Lord is 
 saying, "Eat and drink abundantly, beloved. 
 Ask and receive, that your joy may be full." 
 (Cant. V. 1. John, xvi. 24.) 
 
 1. Know, then, for one thing, assurance is 
 to be desired, because of the present comfort 
 and peace it affords. 
 
 Doubts and fears have great power to spoil 
 the happiness of a true believer in Christ. 
 Uncertainty and suspense are bad enough in 
 any condition, — in the matter of our health, 
 our property, our families, our affections, our 
 earthly callings, — but never vSO bad as in the 
 affairs of our souls. And so long as a believer 
 cannot get beyond " I hope and I trust," he 
 manifestly feels a degree of uncertainty about 
 his spiritual state. The very words imply as 
 much. He says, " I hope," because he dares 
 not say, " I know." 
 
Now assurance, my brethren, goes far to set 
 a child of God free from this painful kind of 
 bondage, and so ministers mightily to his com- 
 fort. It enables him to feel that the great 
 business of life is a settled business, the great 
 debt a paid debt, the great disease a healed 
 disease, and the great work a finished work ; 
 and all other business, diseases, debts, and 
 works, are then by comparison small. In this 
 way assurance makes him patient in tribula- 
 tion, calm under bereavements, unmoved in 
 sorrow, not afraid of evil tidings, in every 
 condition content, for it gives him a fixed- 
 ness of heart. It sweetens his bitter cups, it 
 lessens the burden of his crosses, it smooths 
 the rough places over which he travels, it 
 lightens the valley of the shadow of death. 
 It makes him always feel that he has some- 
 thing solid beneath his feet, and something 
 firm under his hands ; a sure friend by the 
 way, and a sure home at the end."^ 
 
 * " It was a saying of Bishop Latimer to Ridley, ' When 
 I live ia a settled and steadfast assurance about the state of 
 my soul, methinks then I am as bold as a lion. I can laugh 
 
"have you assueance?" 333 
 
 Assurance will help a man to bear poverty 
 and loss. It will teach him to say, " I know 
 that I have in heaven a better and more en- 
 during substance. Silver and gold have I 
 none, but grace and glory are mine, and these 
 can never make themselves wings and flee 
 away. " Though the fig-tree shall not blossom, 
 — yet I will rejoice in the Lord." (Habak. iii. 
 17, 18.) 
 
 Assurance will support a child of God under 
 the heaviest bereavements, and assist him to 
 
 at all trouble ; no affliction daunts rae. But when I am 
 eclipsed in my comforts, I am of so fearful a spirit, that I 
 could run into a very mouse-hole.'" — Quoted by Christopher 
 Love. 1653. 
 
 " Assurance will assist us in all duties ; it will arm us 
 against all temptations ; it will answer all objections ; it will 
 sustain us in all conditions in which the saddest of times 
 can bring us. ' If God be for us, who can be against us V " 
 — Bishop Reynolds on xiv. Hosea. 1642. 
 
 " We cannot come amiss to him that hath assurance : God 
 is his. Hath he lost a friend ? — His Father lives. Hath he 
 lost an only child? — God hath given him His only Son. 
 Hath he scarcity of bread ? — God hath given him the finest 
 of the wheat, the bread of life. Are his comforts gone? — 
 He hath the Comforter. Doth he meet with storms ? — He 
 knows where to put in for harbor. — God is his portion, and 
 heaven is his haven." — Thomas Watson. 1662. 
 
feel ''it is well." An assured soul will say, 
 " though beloved ones are taken from me, yet 
 Jesus is the same, and is alive forevermore. 
 Though my house be not as flesh and blood 
 could wish, yet I have an everlasting covenant, 
 ordered in all things and sure." (2 Kings, xxiv. 
 26 ; Heb. xiii. 8 ; 2 Sam. xxiii. 5.) 
 
 Assurance will enable a man to praise God, 
 and be thankful, even in a prison, like Paul 
 and Silas at Philippi. It can give a believer 
 songs even in the darkest night, and joy when 
 all things seem going against him.* (Job, 
 XX xi. 10 ; Psalm xlii. 8.) 
 
 Assurance will enable a man to sleep with 
 the full prospect of execution on the morrow, 
 
 * These were John Bradford's words in prison, shortly 
 before his execution : " I have no request to make. If Queen 
 Mary gives me my life, I will thank her ; if she will banish 
 me, I will thank her ; if she will burn me, I will thank her ; 
 if she will condemn me to perpetual imprisonment, I will 
 thank her." 
 
 This was Rutherford's experience, when banished to Aber- 
 deen : " How blind are my adversaries, who sent me to a 
 banqueting house, and not to a prison or a place of exile." 
 " My prison is a palace to me, and Christ's banqueting 
 house." — Letters. 
 
like Peter in Herod's dungeon. It will teacli 
 him to say, " I will both lay me down in peace 
 and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me to 
 dwell in safety." (Psalm iv. 8.) 
 
 Assurance can make a man rejoice to suffer 
 shame for Christ's sake, as the Apostles did. 
 It will remind him that he may "rejoice and 
 be exceeding glad," (Matt. v. 12,) and that 
 there is in heaven an exceeding weight of 
 glory that shall make amends for all. (2 Cor. 
 iv. 17.) 
 
 Assurance will enable a believer to meet a 
 violent and painful death without fear, as 
 Stephen did in the beginning of Christ's 
 Church, and as Cranmer, Eidley, Latimer, and 
 Taylor did in our own land. It will bring to 
 his heart the texts, " Be not afraid of them 
 which kill the body, and after that have no 
 more that they can do." (Luke, xii. 4.) "Lord 
 Jesus, receive my spirit." (Acts, vii. 59.)* 
 
 * These were the last words of Hugh Mackail on the 
 scaffold at Edinburgh, 1666. " Now 1 begin my intercourse 
 with God, which shall never be broken off. Farewell father 
 and mother, friends and relations ; farewell the world and 
 all its delights ; farewell, meat and drinks ; farewell, sun, 
 
336 "have you asstjeance?" 
 
 Assurance will support a man in pain and 
 sickness, make all his bed, smooth down his 
 dying pillow. It will enable him to say, " If 
 my earthly house fail, I have a building of 
 God." (2 Cor. V. 1.) " I desire to depart and 
 be with Christ." (Phil. i. 23.) '' My flesh and 
 my heart may fail, but God is the strength of 
 my heart, and my portion forever."* (Psalm 
 Ixxiii. 26.) 
 
 Ah! brethren, the comfort assurance can 
 give in the hour of death is a great point, de- 
 pend upon it ; and never will you think it so 
 great as when your turn comes to die. 
 
 moon, and stars. "Welcome, Grod and Father ; welcome, 
 sweet Lord Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant ; wel- 
 come, blessed Spirit of grace and God of all consolation ; 
 welcome, glory ; welcome, eternal life ; welcome, death. 
 Lord, into thy hands I commit my spirit ; for thou hast re- 
 deemed my soul, Lord God of trutli." 
 
 * These were Rutherford's words on his deathbed. " 
 that all my brethren did know what a master I have served, 
 and what peace I have this day ! I shall sleep in Christ, and 
 when I awake, I shall be satisfied with his likeness." 1661. 
 
 These were Baxter's words on liis death-bed. " I bless 
 God I have a well-grounded assurance of my eternal happi- 
 ness, and great peace and comfort within." Towards the 
 close he was asked how he did ? The answer was, "Almost 
 welL" 1691. 
 
In that awful hour, there are few believers 
 who do not find out the value and privilege 
 of an assured hope, whatever they may have 
 thought about it during their lives. General 
 " hopes" and '' trusts" are all very well to live 
 upon, while the sun shines, and the body is 
 strong ; but when you come to die, you will 
 want to be able to say, " I know and Ifeel^ 
 
 Believe me, Jordan is a cold stream, and we 
 have to cross it alone. N"© earthly friend can 
 help us. The last enemy, even death, is a 
 strong foe. When our souls are departing 
 there is no cordial like the strong wine of as- 
 surance. 
 
 There is a beautiful expression in the 
 Prayer-book service for the visitation of the 
 sick, " The Almighty Lord, who is the most 
 strong tower to all them that put trust in Him, 
 be now and evermore thy defence, and make 
 thee know and feel that there is none other 
 name under heaven, through whom thou 
 mayest receive health and salvation, but only 
 the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 The compilers of that service showed great 
 22 
 
338 "have you assura:nce?" 
 
 wisdom there. They saw that when the eyes 
 grow dim, and the heart grows faint, and the 
 spirit is on the eve of departing, there must 
 then be hnoiving and feeling what Christ has 
 done for ns, or else there cannot be perfect 
 peace.*^ 
 
 2. Let me name another thing. Assurance 
 is to be desired, because it tends to make a 
 Christian an active worhing Christian. 
 
 None, generally speaking, do so much for 
 Christ on earth as those who enjoy the fullest 
 confidence of a free entrance into heaven. 
 That sounds wonderful, I dare say, but it is 
 true. 
 
 A believer who lacks an assured hope, will 
 spend much of his time in inward searchings 
 of heart about his own state. Like a nervous, 
 hypochondriacal person, he will be full of his 
 own ailments, — his own doubtings and ques- 
 
 * "The least degree of faith takes a^vay the sting of 
 death, because it takes away guilt ; but the full assurance of 
 faith breaks the very teeth and jaws of death, by taking 
 away the fear and dread of it." — FairclougKs Sermon in 
 the Morning Exercises. 
 
tionings^ — his own conflicts and corruptions. 
 In short, you will often find he is so taken up 
 with this internal warfare, that he has little 
 leisure for other things, little time to work for 
 God. 
 
 Now a believer, who has, like Paul, an as- 
 sured hope, is free from these harassing dis- 
 tractions. He does not vex his soul with 
 doubts about his own pardon and acceptance. 
 He looks at the everlasting covenant sealed 
 with blood, at the finished work and never- 
 broken word of his Lord and Saviour, and 
 therefore counts his salvation a settled thing. 
 And thus he is able to give an undivided at- 
 tention to the work of the Lord, and so in the 
 long run to do more.^ 
 
 * " Assurance, would make us active and lively in God's 
 service ; it would excite prayer, quicken obedience. Faith 
 would make us walk, but assurance would make us run ; we 
 should think we could never do enough for God. Assm*anee 
 would be as wings to the bird, as weights to the clock, to 
 set all the wheels of obedience a-rimning." — Thmnas Watson. 
 
 " Assurance will make a man fervent, constant, and abun- 
 dant in the work of the Lord. When the assured Christian 
 hath done one work, he is calling out for another. What is 
 next, Lord, says the assured soul ; what is next ? An assured 
 
340 "have you assurance?" 
 
 Take, for an illustration of this, two English 
 emigrants, and suppose them set down side by 
 side in ISTew Zealand or Australia. Give each 
 of them a piece of land to clear and cultivate. 
 Let the portions allotted to them be the same 
 both in quantity and quality. Secure that 
 land to them by every needful legal instru- 
 ment, — let it be conveyed as freehold to them 
 and theirs for ever, — let the conveyance be 
 publicly registered, and the property be made 
 sure to them by every deed and security that 
 man's ingenuity can devise. 
 
 Suppose then that one of them shall set to 
 work to bring his land into cultivation, and 
 labor at it day after day without intermission 
 or cessation. 
 
 Suppose in the meanwhile that the other 
 shall be continually leaving his work, and go- 
 ing repeatedly to the public registry to ask 
 whether the land really is his own, — whether 
 
 Christian will put his hand to any work, he will put his 
 neck to any yoke for Christ ; he never thinks he hath done 
 enough, he always thinks he hath done too little, and when 
 he hath done all he can, he sits down, saying, I am an un- 
 profitable servant." — Thomas Brooks. 
 
there is not some mistake, — whether after all 
 there is not some flaw in the legal instruments 
 which conveyed it to him. 
 
 The one shall never doubt his title, but just 
 work diligently on. 
 
 The other shall hardly ever feel sure of his 
 title, and spend half his time in going to Syd- 
 ney or Auckland, with needless enquiries 
 about it. 
 
 Which now of these two men will have 
 made most progress in a year's time ? Who 
 will have done the most for his land, got the 
 greatest breadth of soil under tillage, have the 
 best crops to show, be altogether the most 
 prosperous ? 
 
 You all know as well as I do. I need not 
 supply an answer. There can only be one 
 reply. Undivided attention will always at- 
 tain the greatest success. 
 
 Brethren, so will it be in the matter of our 
 title to " mansions in the skies." JSTone will 
 do so much for the Lord who bought him as 
 the believer who sees his title clear, and is not 
 distracted by unbelieving hesitations. The joy 
 
 8 ^ 
 
of the Lord will be that man's strength. 
 ^'Eestore nnto me," says David, "the joy of 
 thy salvation ; then will I teach transgressors 
 thy ways." (Psalm li. 12.) 
 
 Never were there such working Christians 
 as the Apostles. They seemed to live to 
 labor : Christ's work was truly their meat and 
 drink. They counted not their lives dear to 
 themselves. They spent and were spent. 
 They laid down ease, health, worldly com- 
 fort, at the foot of the cross. And one grand 
 cause of this, I believe, was their assured 
 hope. They w^ere men who could say, "We 
 know that we are of God, and the whole world 
 lieth in wickedness." (1 John, v. 19.) 
 
 8. Let me name another thing. Assurance 
 is to be desired, because it tends to make a 
 Christian a decided Christian. 
 
 Indecision and doubt about our own state 
 in God's sight is a grievous evil, and the 
 mother of many evils. It often produces a 
 wavering and unstable walk in following the 
 Lord. Assurance helps to cut many a knot, 
 
and to make the path of Christian duty clear 
 and plain. 
 
 Many, of whom we feel hopes that they are 
 God's children, and have true grace, however 
 weak, are continually perplexed with doubts 
 on points of practice. " Should we do such 
 and such a thing? Shall we give up this 
 family custom? Ought we to go into that 
 company ? How shall we draw the line about 
 visiting ? What is to be the measure of our 
 dressing and our entertainments? Are we 
 never, under any circumstances, to dance, 
 never to tx)uch a card, never to attend parties 
 of pleasure?" These are a kind of questions 
 which seem to give them constant trouble. 
 And often, very often, the simple root of their 
 perplexity is, that they do not feel assured 
 they are themselves children of God. They 
 have not yet settled the point, which side of 
 the gate they are on. They do not know 
 whether they are inside the ark or not. 
 
 That a child of God ought to act in a cer- 
 tain decided way, they quite feel, but the 
 grand question is, " are they children of God 
 
themselves ?" If they only felt they were so, 
 they would go straightforward, and take a 
 decided line; but not feeling sure about it, 
 their conscience is forever hesitating and 
 coming to a dead lock. The Devil whispers, 
 " perhaps after all you are only a hypocrite ; 
 • — what right have you to take a decided 
 course ? Wait till you are really a Chris- 
 tian." And this whisper too often turns the 
 scale, and leads on to some miserable com- 
 promise, or wretched conformity to the world. 
 Brethren, I verily believe you have here 
 one chief reason why so many in this day 
 are inconsistent, trimming, unsatisfactory, and 
 half-hearted in their conduct about the 
 world. Their faith fails. They feel no as- 
 surance that they are Christ's, and so feel a 
 hesitancy about breaking with the world. 
 They shrink from laying aside all the ways 
 of the old man, because they are not quite 
 confident they have put on the new. De- 
 pend on it, one secret cause of halting be- 
 tween two opinions is want of assurance. 
 When people can say decidedly, " The Lord 
 
"have YOir ASSURANCE?" 345 
 
 He is the God," tlieir course becomes very 
 clear. (1 Kings, xviii. 89.) 
 
 Let me name one thing more. Assurance 
 is to be desired, because it tends to make the 
 holiest Christians. 
 
 This too sounds wonderful and strange, and 
 yet it is true. It is one of the paradoxes of 
 the Gospel, contrary, at first sight, to reason 
 and common sense, and yet it is a fact. Car- 
 dinal Bellarmine was seldom more wide of 
 the truth tljan w^hen he said, " Assurance 
 tends to carelessness and sloth." He that is 
 freely forgiven by Christ will always do 
 much for Christ's glory, and he that enjoys 
 the fullest assurance of this forgiveness will 
 ordinarily keep up the closest walk with God. 
 It is a faithful saying in 1 John, iii. 3, " He 
 that hath this hope in Him purifieth him- 
 self, even as He is pure." A hope that does 
 not purify is a mockery, a delusion, and a 
 
 snare.* 
 
 * " The true assurance of salvation which the Spirit of 
 God hath wrought in any heart, hath that force to restrain 
 
None are so likely to maintain a watchful 
 guard over their hearts and lives as those who 
 know the comfort of living in near commnn- 
 
 a man from looseness of life, and to knit his heart in love 
 and obedience to God, as nothing else hath in all the world. 
 It is certainly either the want of faith and assurance of God's 
 love, or a false or carnal assurance of it, that is the true 
 cause of the Ucentiousness that reigns in the world." — H'd- 
 dersam on 51 st Psalm. 
 
 " None walk so evenly with God as they who are assm'ed 
 of the love of God. Faith is the mother of obedience, and 
 sm-eness of trust makes way for strictness of Hfe. When 
 men are loose from Christ, they are loose in point of duty, 
 and then' floating behef is soon discovered in their incon- 
 stancy and unevenness in walking. We do not with 
 alacrity engage in that, of the success of which we are 
 doubtful ; and therefore, when we know not whether God 
 will accept us or not, when we are off and on in point of 
 trust, we are just so in the course of our lives, and serve 
 God by fits and starts. It is the slander of the world to 
 think assurance an idle doctrine." — Manton's Exposition of 
 James. 1660. 
 
 " Who is more obliged, or who feels the obhgation to ob- 
 servance more cogently, — the son who knows his near rela- 
 tion, and knows his father loves him, — or the servant that 
 hath great reason to doubt it ? Fear is a weak and im- 
 potent principle in comparison of love. Terrors may 
 awaken ; love enlivens. Terrors may also " almost per- 
 suade ;' love over-persuades. Sure jmi I that a believer's 
 knowledge that his Beloved is his, and he is his Beloved's, 
 (Cant. vi. 3.) is found by experience to lay the most strong 
 and cogent obligations upon him to loyalty and faithfulness 
 
"have you assurance?" 34:7 
 
 ion with God. They feel their privilege, and 
 will fear losing it. They will dread falling 
 from their high estate, and marring their own 
 comforts, by bringing clouds between them- 
 selves and Christ. He that goes on a journey 
 with little money about him takes little 
 thought of danger, and cares little how late 
 he travels. He, on the contrary, that carries 
 gold and jewels will be a cautious traveller ; 
 he will look well to his roads, his house, and 
 his company, and run no risks. The fixed 
 stars are those that tremble most. The man 
 that most fully enjoys the light of G-od's re- 
 conciled countenance, will be a man trem- 
 
 to the Lord Jesus. For as to liim that believes Christ is 
 precious (1 Peter ii. 7), so to him that knows he believes, 
 Christ is so much the more precious, even the ' chiefest of 
 ten thousand.'" (Cant. v. 10.) — FairclougKs Sermon in 
 Morning Exercises. 1660. 
 
 " Is it necessary that men should be kept in continual 
 dread of damnation, in order to render them circiunspect 
 and ensure their attention to duty ? Will not the well- 
 grounded expectation of heaven prove far more efficacious ? 
 Love is the noblest and strongest principle of obedience : 
 nor can it be but that a sense of God's love to us will in- 
 ci'ease our desu'e to please him." — Eobi?ison's Christian 
 System. 
 
848 "have you assurance?" 
 
 blingly afraid of losing its blessed consolations, 
 and jealously fearful of doing anything to 
 grieve the Holy Ghost. 
 
 Beloved Brethren, I comnaend these four 
 points to your serious consideration. Would 
 you like to feel the everlasting arms around 
 you, and to hear the voice of Jesus daily 
 drawing nigh to your soul, and saying, "I am 
 thy salvation ?" — Would you like to be useful 
 laborers in the vineyard in your day and 
 generation ? — Would you be known of all 
 men as bold, firm, decided, single-eyed, un- 
 compromising followers of Christ — Would 
 you be eminently spiritually-minded and 
 holy ? — Ah ! you will some of you say, 
 " these are the very things our hearts desire. 
 We long for them. We pant after them, 
 but they seem far from us." 
 
 Now, has it never struck you that your 
 neglect of assurance may possibly be the main 
 secret of all your failures, — that the low meas- 
 ure of faith which satisfies you may be the 
 cause of your low degree of peace ? Can you 
 think it a strange thing that your graces are 
 
"have you assueance?" 349 
 
 faint and languisliing, wlien faith, the root and 
 mother of them all, is allowed to remain feeble 
 and weak ? 
 
 Take my advice this day. Seek an increase 
 of faith. Seek an assured hope of salvation 
 like the Apostle Paul's. Seek to obtain a 
 simple, childlike confidence in God's promises. 
 Seek to be able to say with Paul, *' I know 
 whom I have believed ; I am persuaded that 
 He is mine, and I am His." 
 
 You have many of you tried other ways 
 and methods, and completely failed. Change 
 your plan. Go upon another tack. Lay aside 
 your doubts. Lean more entirely on the 
 Lord's arm. Begin with implicit trusting. 
 Cast aside your faithless backwardness to take 
 the Lord at His word. Come and roll your- 
 self, your soul, and your sins upon your gra- 
 cious Saviour. Begin with simple believing, 
 and all other things shall soon be added to 
 you.* 
 
 * " That which breeds so much perplexity, is, that ■we 
 would invert God's order, ' If I knew,' say some, * that 
 the promise belonged to me, and Christ were a Saviour to 
 me, I could believe ;' that is to say, I would first see, and 
 
TV. — I come now to the last thing of which 
 I spoke. I promised to point out to you some 
 probable causes luhy an assured hope is so seldom 
 attained. I will do it very shortly. 
 
 This, brethren, is a very serious question, 
 and ought to raise in us all great searchings 
 of heart. Few, certainly, of Christ's people 
 seem to reach up to this blessed spirit of as- 
 surance. Many comparatively believe, but 
 few are persuaded. Many comparatively have 
 saving faith, but few that glorious confidence 
 which shines forth in our text. That such is 
 the case, I think we must all allow. 
 
 Now, why is this so? — Why is a thing 
 which two Apostles have strongly enjoined us 
 
 then believe. But the true method is just the contrary ; ' I 
 had fainted,' says David, ' unless I had believed to see the 
 goodness of the Lord.' He believed it first, and saw it after- 
 ward." — Archbishop Leighton. 
 
 " It is a weak and ignorant, but common thought of 
 Christians, that they ought not to look for heaven, nor 
 trust Christ for eternal glory, till they be Avell advanced in 
 holiness and meetness for it. But as the first sanctitication 
 of our natures flows from our faith and trust in Christ for 
 acceptance, so our further sanctification and meetness for 
 glory flows from the renewed and repeated exercise of 
 faith on him" — Traill. 
 
"have you assurance?" 351 
 
 to seek after, a thing of wliicli few believers 
 have any experimental knowledge ? Why is 
 an assured hope so rare ? 
 
 I desire to offer a few suggestions on this 
 point with all humility. I know that many 
 have never attained assurance, at whose feet I 
 would gladly sit both in earth and heaven. 
 Perhaps the Lord sees something in the natural 
 temperament of some of His children, which 
 makes assurance not good for them. Perhaps 
 in order to be kept in spiritual health, they 
 need to be kept very low. God only knows. 
 Still, after every allowance, I fear there are 
 many believers without an assured hope, 
 whose case may too often be explained by 
 causes such as these. 
 
 1. One most common cause, I suspect, is a 
 defective view of the doctrine of justification. 
 
 I am inclined to think that justification and 
 sauctification are insensibly confused together 
 in the minds of many believers. They receive 
 the Gospel truth, that there must be something 
 done IN us, as Avell as something done FOB us, 
 if we are true members of Christ ; — and so 
 
352 "have you ASSURAJSrCE ?" 
 
 far they are right. But then, without being 
 aware of it, perhaps, they seem to imbibe the 
 idea, that their justification is, in some degree, 
 affected by something within themselves. 
 They do not clearly see that Christ's work, 
 not their own work, — either in whole or in 
 part, either directly or indirectly, — is the alone 
 ground of our acceptance with God ; — that 
 justification is a thing entirely without us, for 
 which nothing whatever is needful on our part 
 but simple faith, — and that the weakest be- 
 liever is as fully and completely justified as the 
 strongest."^ 
 
 Many appear to forget that we are saved 
 and justified as sinners, and only sinners; and 
 that we never can attain to anything higher, 
 
 * The "Westminster Confession of faith gives an admira- 
 ble account of justification. " Those -whom God effectually 
 calleth, He also freely justifieth ; not by infusing righteous- 
 ness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by account" 
 ing and accepting their persons as righteous ; not for any- 
 thing wrought in them or done by them, but for Christ's 
 sake alone ; not by imputing faith itself, the act of believ- 
 ing, or any other evangelical obedience, to them, as their 
 righteousness ; but by imputing the obedience and right- 
 eousness of Christ unto them, they receiving and resting oa 
 him and his righteousness by faith," 
 
"have TOU ASSrEANCE ?" 353 
 
 if we live to the age of Methuselah. Redeem- 
 ed sinners, justified sinners, and renewed sin- 
 ners doubtless we must be, but sinners, sin- 
 ners, sinners, always to the very last. They 
 do not seem to comprehend that there is a 
 wide difference between our justification and 
 our sanctification. Our justification is a per- 
 fect finished work, and admits of no degrees. 
 Our sanctification is imperfect and incomplete, 
 and will be to the last hour of our life. They 
 appear to expect that a believer may at some 
 period of his life be in a measure free from 
 corruption, and attain to a kind of inward per- 
 fection. And not finding this angelic state of 
 things in their own hearts, they at once con- 
 clude there must be something very wrong in 
 their state. And so they go mourning all their 
 days, — oppressed with fears that they have no 
 part or lot in Christ, and refusing to be com- 
 forted. 
 
 My dear brethren, think of this. If any 
 believing soul desires assurance, and has not 
 got it, let him ask himself first of all, if he is 
 
 quite sure he is sound in the faith, if his loins 
 
 23 
 
354 "have you assurance?" 
 
 are thorouglily girt about with truth, and his 
 eyes thoroughly clear in the matter of justifi- 
 cation. He must know what it is simply to 
 believe before he can expect to feel assured. 
 
 Believe me, the old Galatian heresy is the 
 most fertile source of error, both in doctrine 
 and in practice. Seek clearer views of Christ, 
 and what Christ has done for you. Happy is 
 the man who really understands justification 
 by faith without the deeds of the law. 
 
 2. Another common cause of the absence 
 of assurance is, slothfulness about growth in 
 grace. 
 
 I suspect many true believers hold danger- 
 ous and unscriptural views on this point ;— I 
 do not of course mean intentionally, but they 
 do hold them. Many appear to me to think 
 that, once converted, they have little m'ore to 
 attend to, and that a state of salvation is a 
 kind of easy chair, in which they may just sit 
 still, lie back, and be happy. They seem to 
 fancy that grace is given them that they may 
 enjoy it, and they forget that it is given, like 
 
"have you assurance ?" 355 
 
 a talent, to be used, employed, and improved. 
 Sucli persons lose sight of the many direct 
 injunctions "to increase, — to grow, — to abound 
 more and more, — to add to our faith, " and the 
 like, and in this little-doing condition, this sit- 
 ting-still state of mind, I never marvel that 
 they miss assurance. 
 
 I believe it ought to be our continual aim 
 and desire to go forward, and our watchword 
 at the beginning of every year should be, " more 
 and more" (1 Thess. iv. 1) ; more knowledge, 
 — more faith, — more obedience, — more love. 
 If we have brought forth thirty-fold, we 
 should seek to bring forth sixty, and if we 
 have brought forth sixty, we should strive to 
 bring forth a hundred. The will of the Lord 
 is our sanctification, and it ought to be our 
 will too. (Matt. xiii. 23 ; 1 Thess. iv. 3.) 
 
 One thing, at all events, brethren, you may 
 depend upon, there is an inseparable connec- 
 tion between diligence and assurance. "Give 
 (iz'%6?2ce," says Peter, "to make your calling 
 and election sure." (2 Peter i. 10.) " We de- 
 sire," says Paul, "that every one of you do 
 
show the same diligence to the full assurance 
 of hope unto the end." (Heb. vi. 11.) " The 
 soul of the diligentj^ says Solomon, " shall be 
 made fat." (Pro v. xiii. 4.) There is much truth 
 in the old maxim of the Puritans, " Faith of 
 adherence comes by hearing, but faith of assu- 
 rance comes not without doings 
 
 Mark my words, any one of you that de- 
 sires assurance, and has not got it. You will 
 never get it without diligence, however much 
 you may desire it. There are no gains with- 
 out pains in spiritual things, any more than in 
 temporal. " The soul of the sluggard desireth 
 and hath nothing." (Pro v. xiii. 4.)"^ 
 
 * " Whose fault is it that thy interest in Christ is not 
 put out of question ? Were Christians more in self-exami- 
 nation, more close in walking with God ; and if they had 
 more near coimnunion with God, and were more in acting 
 of faith, this shameful darkness and doubting would quickly 
 vanish," — Traill. 
 
 " A lazy Christian shall always want four things, viz., 
 comfort, content, confidence, and assurance. God hath made 
 a separation between joy and idleness, between assurance 
 and laziness, and therefore it is impossible for thee to bring 
 these together, that God hath put so far asunder." — Thomas 
 Brooks. 
 
 " Are you in depths and doubts, staggering and uncertain, 
 not knowing what is your condition, nor whether you have 
 
8. Another common cause of a want .of as- 
 surance is, an inconsistent walk in life. 
 
 "With grief and sorrow I feel constrained to 
 say, I fear nothing in this day more frequently 
 prevents men attaining an assured hope than 
 this. The stream of professing Christianity is 
 far wider than it formerly was, and I am afraid 
 we must admit at the same time it is much 
 less deep. 
 
 Inconsistency of life is utterly destructive 
 of peace of conscience. The two things are 
 incompatible. They cannot and they will not 
 go together. 
 
 K you will have your besetting sins, and 
 cannot make up your minds to give them up, 
 — if you will shrink from cutting off the right 
 
 any interest in the forgiveness that is of God ? Are you 
 tossed up and down between hopes and fears, and want 
 peace, consolation, and establishment ? "Why lie you upon 
 your faces ? Get up, watch, pray, fast, meditate, offer vio- 
 lence to your lusts and corruptions ; fear not, startle not at 
 their crying to be spared ; press unto the throne of grace by 
 prayer, supplications, importimities, restless requests ; this 
 is the way to take the kingdom of God. These things are 
 not peace, are not assurance ; but they are part of the means 
 God hath appointed for the attainment of them." — Owen on 
 the IZOth Psalm. 
 
hand and plucking out the right eye, when 
 occasion requires it, I will engage you will 
 have no assurance. 
 
 A vacillating walk, — a backwardness to take 
 a bold and decided line, — a readiness to con- 
 form to the world, — a hesitating witness for 
 Christ, — a lingering tone of religion, — all these 
 make up a sure receipt for bringing a blight 
 upon the garden of your soul. 
 
 It is vain to suppose you will feel assured 
 and persuaded of your own pardon and ac- 
 ceptance with God, unless you count all God's 
 commandments concerning all things to be 
 right, and hate every sin, whether great or 
 small." (Psalm cxix. 128.) One Achan al- 
 lowed in the camp of your heart will weaken 
 your hands, and lay your consolation low in 
 the dust. You must be daily sowing to the 
 Spirit, if you are to reap the witness of the 
 Spirit. You will not find and feel that all the 
 Lord's ways are ways of pleasantness, unless 
 you labor in all your ways to please the 
 Lord.* 
 
 * "Wouldst thou have thy hope strong? — Then keep 
 
I bless God our salvation in nowise depends 
 on our own works. By grace we are saved, — 
 not by works of righteousness, — through faith, 
 — without the deeds of the law. But I never 
 would have any believer for a moment forget 
 that our sense of salvation depends much on 
 the manner of our living. Inconsistency will 
 dim your eyes, and bring clouds between you 
 and the sun. The sun is the same behind the 
 clouds, but you will not be able to see its 
 brightness or enjoy its warmth, and your soul 
 
 thy conscience pure. Thou canst not defile one without 
 •weakening the other. The godly person that is loose and 
 careless in his holy walking, will soon find his hope languish- 
 ing. All sin disposeth the soul that tampers with it, to 
 trembling fears and shakings of heart." — Gurnall. 
 
 " One great and too common cause of distress is the secret 
 maintaining some known sin. It puts out the eye of the 
 boul, or dimmeth it and stupefies it, that it oan neither see 
 nor feel its own condition. But especially it provoketh 
 God to withdraw himself, his comforts, and the assistance of 
 his Spirit." — Baxter's Saints' Hest. 
 
 " The stars which have least circuit are nearest the pole ; 
 and men whose hearts are least entangled with the world 
 are always nearest to God, and to the assm'ance of His favor. 
 Worldly Christians, remember this. You and the world 
 must part, or else assurance and your souls will never 
 meet." — Thomas Brooks. 
 
360 "have you assurance?" 
 
 will be gloomy and cold. It is in the path of 
 well doing that the day-spring of assurance 
 will visit you, and shine down upon your 
 heart. 
 
 ^' The secret of the Lord," say's David, "■ is 
 with them that fear him, and he will show 
 them his covenant." (Psalm xxv. 14.) 
 
 " To him that ordereth his conversation 
 aright, will I show the salvation of God." 
 (Psalm 1. 23.) 
 
 " Great peace have they which love thy 
 law, and nothing shall offend them." (Psalm 
 cxix. 165.) 
 
 "If we walk in the light, as He is in the 
 light, we have fellowship one with another." 
 (1 John, i. 7.) 
 
 "Let us not love in word, neither in tongue ; 
 but in deed and in truth ; 
 
 " And hereby we know that we are of the 
 truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him." 
 (1 John, iii. 18, 19.) 
 
 " Hereby do we knoio that we know Him, 
 if we keep His commandments." (1 John, ii. 3.) 
 
 Paul was a man who exercised himself to 
 
have always a conscience void of offence to- 
 ward God and toward man. (Acts, xxiv. 16.) 
 He could say with boldness, *' I have fought 
 the good fight, I have kept the faith." I do 
 not wonder that the Lord enabled him to add 
 with confidence, "Henceforth there is a crown 
 laid up for me, and the Lord shall give it me 
 at that day." 
 
 Brethren, if any believer in the Lord Jesus 
 desires assurance, and has not got it, let him 
 think over this point also. Let him look at 
 his own heart, look at his own conscience, 
 look at his own life, look at his own ways, 
 look at his own home. And perhaps when 
 he has done that, he will be able to say, '^ there 
 is a cause why I have no assured hope." 
 
 • JSTow I leave the three matters I have just 
 mentioned to your own private consideration. 
 I am sure you are worth examining. May you 
 all examine them honestly. And may the 
 Lord give you understanding in all things. 
 
 And now, brethren, in closing this import- 
 ant inquiry, let me speak first to those among 
 you who have not given yourselves to the 
 
362 "have you assueance?" 
 
 Lord, who have not yet come out from the 
 world, chosen the good part, and followed Christ. 
 
 Learn then, my dear friends, from this sub- 
 ject, the privileges and comforts of a true 
 Christian. 
 
 I would not have you judge of the Lord 
 Jesus Christ by His people. The best of ser- 
 vants can give you but a faint idea of that 
 glorious Master. ' Neither would I have you 
 judge of the privileges of His kingdom, by 
 the measure of comfort to which many of His 
 people attain. Alas ! we are most of us poor 
 creatures. We come short, very short, of the 
 blessedness we might enjoy. But, depend 
 upon it^ there are glorious things in the city 
 of our God, which they who have an assured 
 hope taste even in their life-time. There are 
 lengths and bieadths of peace and consolation 
 therC; which it ha.s not entered into your heart 
 to conceive. Theie is bread enough and to 
 spare in our Father's house, though many of 
 us certainly eat but little of it, and continue 
 weak. But the fault must not be laid to our 
 Master's charge, it is all our own. 
 
"have YOr ASSURANCE?" 363 
 
 Andj after all, the weakest child of God has 
 a mine of comforts within him, of which you 
 know nothing. You see the conflicts and toss- 
 ings of the surface of his heart, but you see 
 not the pearls of great price which are hidden 
 in the depths below. The feeblest member 
 of Christ would not change conditions with 
 you. The believer who possesses the least as- 
 surance is far better off than you are. He 
 has a hope, however faint, but you have nont 
 at all. He has a portion that will never be 
 taken from him, a Saviour that will never for- 
 sake him, a treasure that fadeth not away, 
 however little he may realize it all at present. 
 But, as for you, if you die as you are, your 
 expectations will all perish. Oh ! that you 
 were wise ! Oh ! that you understood these 
 things ! Oh ! that you would consider your 
 latter end ! 
 
 I feel deeply for you in these latter days of 
 the world, if I ever did. I feel deeply for 
 those whose treasure is all on earth, and whose 
 hopes are all on this side the grave. Yes! 
 when I see old kingdoms and dynasties shak- 
 
364 ''have you assurance?" 
 
 ing to tlie very foundation, — when I see kings 
 and princes, and ricli men, and great men 
 fleeing for their lives, and scarce knowing 
 where to hide their heads, — when I see pro- 
 perty dependent on public confidence melting 
 like snow in spring, and public stocks and 
 funds losing their value, — when I see these 
 things, I feel deeply for those who have no 
 better portion than this world can give them, 
 and no place in that kingdom that cannot be 
 removed.* 
 
 Take advice of a minister of Christ this 
 very day. Seek durable riches, — a treasure 
 that cannot be taken from you, — a city which 
 hath lasting foundations. Do as the Apostle 
 Paul did. Give yourself to the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, and seek that incorruptible crown He 
 is ready to bestow. Take His yoke upon you, 
 and learn of Him. Come away from a world 
 which will never really satisfy you, and from 
 sin which will bite like a serpent, if you cleave 
 
 * " Tliey are doubly miserable that have neither heaven 
 nor earth, temporals nor eternals, made sm'e to them in 
 changing times." — Thomas Brooks. 
 
"have YOF ASSUEAlfCE?" 365 
 
 to it, at last. Come to the Lord Jesus as lowly- 
 sinners and He will receive you, pardon you, 
 give you His renewing Spirit, fill you with 
 peace. This shall give you more real comfort 
 than the world has ever done. This is a gulf 
 in your heart which nothing but the peace of 
 Christ can fill. Enter in and share our 
 privileges. Come with us and sit down by 
 our side. 
 
 Lastly, let me turn to all believers who read 
 these pages, and speak to them a few words 
 of brotherly counsel. 
 
 The main thing that I urge upon you is 
 this, — if you have not got an assured hope of 
 your own acceptance in Christ, resolve this 
 dav to seek it. Labor for it. Strive after it. 
 Pray for it. Give the Lord no rest till you 
 know whom you have believed. 
 
 I feel indeed that the small amount of as- 
 surance in this day, among those who are 
 reckoned God's children, is a shame and a re- 
 proach. "It is a thing to be heavily bewail- 
 ed," says old Traill, *^ that many Christians 
 
366 "have you assuraitce?" 
 
 have lived twenty or forty years since Cbrist 
 called them by His grace, yet doubting in their 
 life." Let us call to mind the earnest " desire" 
 Paul expresses, that " every one" of the He- 
 brews should seek after fall assurance ; and 
 let us endeavor, by God's blessing, to roll this 
 reproach away. (Heb. vi. 11.) 
 
 Brethren, do you really mean to say that 
 you have no desire to exchange hope for con- 
 fidence, trust for persuasion, uncertainty for 
 knowledge? Because weak faith will save 
 you, will you therefore rest content with it ? 
 Because assurance is not essential to your en- 
 trance into heaven, will you therefore be satis- 
 fied without it upon earth ? Alas ! this is not 
 a healthy state of soul to be in ; this is not 
 the mind of the Apostolic day. Arise at once 
 and go forward. Stick not at the foundations 
 of religion ; go on to perfection. Be not con- 
 tent with a day of small things. Never de- 
 spise it in others, but never be content with it 
 yourselves. 
 
 Believe me, believe me, assurance is worth 
 the seeking. You forsake your own mercies 
 
when you rest content without it. The things 
 I speak are for your peace. It is good to be 
 sure in earthly things, how much better is it 
 to be sure in heavenly things. Your salvation 
 is a fixed and certain thing. God knows it. 
 "Why should not you seek to know it too ? 
 There is nothing unscriptural in this. Paul 
 never saw the book of life, and yet Paul says, 
 " I know and am persuaded." 
 
 Make it then your daily prayer that you 
 may have an increase of faith. According to 
 your faith will be your peace. Cultivate that 
 blessed root more, and sooner or later, by God's 
 blessing, you may hope to have the flower. 
 You may not perhaps attain to fall assurance 
 all at once. It is good sometimes to be kept 
 waiting. We do not value things which we 
 get without trouble. But though it tarry, wait 
 for it. Seek on, and expect to find. 
 
 Another thing I will name is this, — you 
 must not be surprised if you have occasional 
 doubts after you have got assurance. You 
 must not forget you are on earth, and not yet 
 in heaven. You are still in the body, and 
 
368 "have you assurance?" 
 
 have in-dwelling sin ; the flesh will lust against 
 the spirit to the very end. The leprosy will 
 never be out of the walls of the old house till 
 death take it (Jown. And there is a devil too, 
 and a strong devil ; a devil who tempted the 
 Lord Jesus, and gave Peter a fall ; — and he 
 will take care you know it. Some doubts 
 there always will be. He that never doubts 
 has nothing to lose. He that never fears pos- 
 sesses nothing truly valuable. He that is ne- 
 ver jealous knows little of deep love. But be 
 not discouraged ; you shall be more than con- 
 querers through Him that loved you.* 
 
 Finally, do not forget that assurance is a 
 thing that may be lost for a season, even by 
 the brightest Christians, unless they care. 
 
 Assurance is a most delicate plant. It 
 
 * ** None have assurance at all times. As in a walk that 
 is shaded with trees and checkered with light and shadow, 
 some tracts and paths in it are dark, and others are sunshine : 
 such is usually the life of the most assured Christian." — 
 Bishop Hopkins. 
 
 " It is very suspicious, that that person is a hypocrite, 
 that is always in the same frame, let him pretend it to be 
 never so good." — Traill. 
 
needs daily, hourly watching, watering, tend- 
 ing, cherishing. So watch and pray the more 
 when you have got it. As "Rutherford says, 
 " Make much of assurance." Be alwaj'^s upon 
 your guard. "When Christian slept, in Pil- 
 grim's Progress, he lost his certificate. Keep 
 that in mind 
 
 David lost assurance for many months by 
 falling into transgression. Peter lost it when 
 he denied his Lord. Each found it again un- 
 doubtedly, but not till after bitter tears. Spir- 
 itual darkness comes on horseback, and goes 
 away on foot. It is upon us before we know 
 that it is coming. It leaves us slowly, gradu- 
 ally, and not till after many days. It is easy 
 to run down hill. It is hard work to climb 
 up. So remember my caution, when you have 
 the joy of the Lord, watch and pray. 
 
 Above all, grieve not the Spirit. Quench 
 not the Spirit. Vex not the Spirit. Drive 
 Him not to a distance, by tampering with 
 small bad habits, and little sins. Little jar- 
 rings between husbands and wives make un- 
 happy homes, and petty inconsistencies, known 
 
870 "have you assurance?" 
 
 and allowed, will bring in a strangeness be- 
 tween you and the Spirit. 
 
 Hear the concTusion of the whole matter. 
 
 The man who walks with God in Christ 
 most closely, will generally be kept in the 
 greatest peace. 
 
 The believer who follows the Lord most 
 fully, will ordinarily enjoy the most assured 
 hope, and have the clearest persuasion of his 
 own salvation. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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