The sister said, "You certainly have something that I have not."
The other told her it was for her, too, and she brought the sister to the meetings, where she found peace.
Like Martha and Mary, they had a brother but he was a member of the University of Edinburgh. He be converted? He go to these meetings? It might do for women, but not for him! One night they came home and told him that a chum of his own, a member of the university, had stood up and confessed Christ, and when he sat down his brother got up and confessed; and so with the third one.
When the young man heard it, he said: "Do you mean to tell me that he has been converted?"
"Yes."
"Well," he said, "there must be something in it."
He put on his hat and coat, and went to see his friend Black. Black got him down to the meetings, and he was converted.
We went through to Glasgow, and had not been there six weeks when news came that that young man had been stricken down, and had died. When he was dying he called his father to his bedside and said:
"Wasn't it a good thing that my sisters went to those meetings? Won't you meet me in heaven, father?"
"Yes, my son, I am so glad you are a Christian; that is the only comfort that I have in losing you. I will become a Christian, and will meet you again."
I tell this to encourage some sister to go home and carry the message of salvation. It may be that your brother may be taken away in a few months.
How one Man Treated Doubts
A wild and prodigal young man, who was running a headlong career to ruin came into one of our meetings in Chicago. Whilst endeavoring to bring him to Christ, I quoted this verse to him: "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out."
I asked him: "Do you believe Christ said that?"
"I suppose He did."
"Suppose He did! do you believe it?"
"I hope so."
"Hope so! do you believe it? You do your work, and the Lord will do His. Just come as you are, and throw yourself upon His bosom, and He will not cast you out."
This man thought it was too simple and easy.
At last light seemed to break in upon him, and he seemed to find comfort from it. It was past midnight before he got down on his knees, but down he went, and was converted. I said:
"Now, don't think you are going to get out of the devil's territory without trouble. The devil will come to you to-morrow morning and say it was all feeling; that you only imagined you were accepted by God. When he does, don't fight him with your own opinions, but fight him with John vi. 37: 'Him that cometh to Me I will in nowise cast out.' Let that be 'the sword of the Spirit.'"
I don't believe that any man ever starts to go to Christ but the devil strives somehow or other to meet him and trip him up. And even after he has come to Christ, the devil tries to assail him with doubts, and make him believe there is something wrong in it.
The struggle came sooner than I thought in this man's case. When he was on his way home the devil assailed him. He used this text, but the devil put this thought into his mind:
"How do you know Christ ever said that after all? Perhaps the translators made a mistake."
Into darkness he went again. He was in trouble till about two in the morning. At last he came to this conclusion. Said he:
"I will believe it anyway; and when I get to heaven, if it isn't true, I will just tell the Lord _I_ didn't make the mistake--the translators made it."
Use or Lose
An Eastern allegory runs thus: A merchant, going abroad for a time, gave respectively to two of his friends two sacks of wheat each, to take care of against his return. Years passed. When he came back, he applied for them again.
The first took him into a storehouse, and showed him his sacks; but they were mildewed and worthless.
The other led him out into the open country, and pointed to field after field of waving wheat, the produce of the two sacks given him.
Said the merchant: "You have been a faithful friend. Give me two sacks of that wheat; the rest shall be thine."
Let us put to good use the talents God has given us.
The Anchored Boat
I once heard of two men who were under the influence of liquor. They came down at night to where their boat was tied. They wanted to return home, so they got in and began to row. They pulled away hard all night, wondering why they never got to the other side of the bay. When the gray dawn of morning broke, behold! they had never loosed the mooring line or raised the anchor!
That's just the way with many who are striving to enter the kingdom of heaven. They cannot believe, because they are tied to this world. Cut the cord! Confess and forsake your sins! Cut the cord! Set yourselves free from the clogging weight of earthly things, and you will soon rise heavenward.
Not Much up There