^ When the Church says " Come thou with us " to any who are hesitating and undecided, her face is heavenwards, her movement is in that way; she holds in her hand the roll of promise, the map of " the better country, even the heavenly," and sees her own title to possession written there as with the finger of God. She is not lured onwards by the dreams of natural enthusiasm, or by the flickering lights of philosophy, or by the dim hopes which arise in the human breast of something better and nobler to come, by God's goodness, out of all this wrack and storm of disappointment, sorrow, and change. These things are good in their own place and measure, but the Church has a word of promise from God, a promise clear and firm about another life, a perfect state, " a better country, an heavenly." ^
IF We had needs invent heaven if it had not been revealed to us; there are some things that fall so bitterly ill on this side time ! *
Give me my scallop-shell of quiet, My staff of faith to walk upon; My scrip of joy, immortal diet; My bottle of salvation. My gown of glory, hope's true gage, And thus I'll take my pilgrimage. Blood must be my body's only balmer, Whilst my soul like a quiet palmer, Travelleth towards the land of heaven, No other balm will there be given.
1 A. Raleigh. ^ R. L. Stevenson, SU 7tM«.
NUMBERS X. 29-31 379
Over the silver mountains, Where spring the nectar fountains, There will I kiss the bowl of bliss. And drink mine everlasting fill Upon every milken hill. My soul will be a-dry before, But after, it will thirst no more.*
3. Much depends always upon the way in which the invitation is made.
(1) As it is a very kind and tender word, " Come thou with us," let it be spoken permasively. Use such reasoning as you can to prove that it is at once a duty and a privilege. Observe, Moses does not command, but he persuades ; nor does he merely make a suggestion or give a formal invitation, but he uses an argument, he puts it attractively, " And we will do thee good." So, look the matter up ; study it ; get your arguments ready, seek out inducements from your own experience. Draw a reason, and then and thus try to persuade your Christian friends.
(2) Make it heartily. Observe how Moses puts it as from a very warm heart. " Come thou with us " ; give me thy hand, my brother; come thou with us, and we will do thee good. There are no " ifs " and " ands " and " buts," or, " Well, you may perhaps be welcome," but " Come thou with us." Give a hearty, loving, warm invitation to those whom you believe to be your brethren and sisters in Christ.
(3) Make it repeatedly if once will not suffice. Observe in this case, Hobab said he thought he would depart to his own land and his kindred, but Moses returns to the charge, and says "Leave us not, I pray thee." How earnestly he puts it! He will have no put off. If at first it was a request, now it is a beseeching almost to entreaty — " Leave us not, I pray thee." And
how he repeats the old argument, but puts it in a better light !
" If thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee."
ii. The Arg^iiments Used. 1. The first argument is. Come with us /or the good you will get. 1. Moses has Hohab's interests at heart when he asks him to accompany them. This is so even if Hobab, like Moses himself,
» Sir Walter Ealeigh.
38o COME WITH US
should never enter the promised land; for he will be in the channel of the promise, under the blessing of God. For his oion sake he ought to come, " Come thou with us, and we will do thee good : for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel."
^ As a lady, well known as an earnest and devoted servant of God, was going home from a meeting, she was asked to take the arm of a young gentleman who was moving in the highest circles of fashion, a man who had led a very gay life. He did not hke taking this lady home ; he suspected she would begin to preach to him before he got home; however, being a gentleman, he gave her his arm. She did not talk about the meeting, but as they were drawing near home she led the conversation round to subjects bearing on the well-being of her companion. He replied : " It seems to me that you religious people are always trying to strip us of all our little enjoyments. A young man has only once in his life an opportunity to enjoy himself ; he will never have another chance. I am one of those who enjoy life thoroughly. I do not see why you should try to take away all I have got." The lady pressed him on the arm, and said to him very emphatic- ally : " My dear sir, I don't want you to give up ; I want you to receive." He said, " What do you mean ? " She replied, " I won't say any more, I must leave that word for you to think over." " Well," he said, " I will try to turn it over in my mind, and see if I can understand you." And so it fell out that the word went home to his heart, and he never rested until he had got the reality.^