is to receive IIM. Not a dogma, a creed, an impression, a feeling, but a Person. "To as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God." By receiving Him you get power, and not otherwise. Many persons have tried to be Christians, and have failed. A man may as well try to jump to America as to serve God before he is born of God. He has not the power. But when he receives Christ, Christ is the power of God unto salvation. We take Him; and He is our salvation. "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation" (Isa. xii. 2). If God is my salvation, it is not my tears, or my prayers, or my groanings, but something outside of myself. 'Behold, God is my salvation!" That is Faith. Just receive Him as your way, your truth, and your life; your all in all. I would rather take His way than my own way. His way is the best. I do not think there is a soul here but will admit that God's way is better than his way. Give up your way and take Him; and let Him be your way. : 66 Then there is another word. "BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Many people stagger when you talk about belief. They believe intellectually. Perhaps there are none here who do not in their heads believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They believe that He can save them; that He is willing and anxious to save them and yet they are not saved. They have an historical belief, an intellectual belief. The Word does not say that we are to believe with the head, but with the heart. "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. x. 10). The verse preceding makes this still plainer. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED." That is the promise; and nothing on earth can keep you from believing now while I am talking-this very minute. That man in yonder gallery can believe that God raised Christ from the dead for our justification; that He has led captivity captive; and that He is now on the right hand of God to intercede for sinners. And he will immediately have the benefit of Christ's death and intercession, if he takes hold of Him by faith and believes on Him. There are two words-RECEIVE HIM, and BELIEVE HIM. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word "-you have heard it -"and believeth on Him that sent me, hath"-He does not say you shall have "hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John v. 24). Dear friends, will you not believe to-night opinion of God if you will not believe Him. You must have a poor The greatest insult that one man can offer to another is to tell him that he lies. Unbelief gives God the lie. If you want to make heaven glad, believe in God's Son with all your heart, and mind, and strength; and let the joyful news go up on high that many souls have been saved to-night. Then, another word which makes the way of salvation very plain isTRUST HIM. You all know what it is to trust. You heard that there would be a meeting here; you trusted, and you came. Trust is the foundation of all society. In forty-eight hours all the banking-houses in London would be suspended if there were no trust in the commercial world. There is no reason why we should not trust God; though there may be many reasons why we should not trust ourselves. If we trust in an arm of flesh we may be disappointed; but not if we trust in God. Listen :-"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusteth in Thee" (Isaiah xxvi. 3). Why not trust Him to-night? Make up your minds from this hour that you will trust Him to keep you, soul and body. Take Paul's platform: that is a good one to stand upon. "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. i. 12). TRUST HIM!-not your own works and righteousness. Renounce all of self; accept His righteousness; and trust Him! He will keep faith with you. He never yet betrayed His trust. About eleven o'clock one night, as I was going away from a meeting in Philadelphia, so tired that I thought I could hardly talk any more, I met a man at the door who was very much cast down. I said, "What is the trouble?" He said, "I have come from the Altoona Mountains to find Christ: I have been looking for Him, and I cannot find Him." I said, "That is a singular thing. You have been seeking for Christ all day?" "Yes; and I can't find Him." I said, "There must be some mistake about that." "How is that?" "He has been "Well," said hunting after you; and you would have met long ago if you had been seeking after Him." "I cannot find Him," he said. I, "there is one thing you can do; you can trust the Lord Jesus Christ to save you and keep you; can't you?" "Why-why-yes," he said, "I-I-can do that." "Will you?" I asked, "Will you do it?" "Well, yes," said he; "I will do it." "Well, now," I said, “do you think the Lord would let you perish trusting in Him?"" No, He would not; would He?" was the reply. "Well, you trust Him!" I said. "I will!" said the man; "I will! I did not think it was that simple." The man went away rejoicing. It is "that simple," dear friends. It is just trusting God to do what He promised-taking IIim at His word. One more word, and that is—TAKE HIM. When I was in Glasgow, a lady came to me and said, "Mr. Moody, you say all I have to do to but get salvation is-to take it. Is that in the Bible?" "Yes, I said; "I can find you a text for that. I can find any number of texts; the difficulty is to find sermons to drive them home." "TAKE is almost the last word in the Bible. The Book is sealed up with it." She said, "I wish you would show it to me." And I turned over to Revelation and read, "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." The Spirit and the Church unite in this invitation to come and take. Take it! "Well," she said, "I never noticed that before." I said, "It is a good thing to notice." The Lord Jesus had been in heaven about forty years, I suppose, and He knew that some one would be stumbling over the doctrine of election, and He said to John, "You write to the Churches"; and John kept on writing, and writing, and writing; and Jesus said, Put it so broad that not a solitary man will think that he is left out. So here is the invitation:-"The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come." "Some say that they are so deaf that they cannot hear," John may have said. "Then put it broader, broader still, John, and write, 'And WHOSOEVER WILL, let him take the water of life freely."" And if the smallest child wanted to take the cup of salvation, God would clear all the obstacles out of the way; and all the angels of heaven would lend their help to give it. The Psalmist says, "I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord" (Psa. cxvi. 13). May God help you all to take it to-night! It is offered freely; God gave Christ freely; and all can take Him if they will! LONDON: MORGAN AND SCOTT, 12, PATERNOSTER BUILDINGS. And may be ordered of any Bookseller. HRIST SEEKING INNERS. An Address By D. L. MOODY. "THE SON OF MAN IS COME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THAT WHICH LONDON: MORGAN AND SCOTT, 12, PATERNOSTER BUILDINGS. E.C. PRICE Id.] [7/6 PER 100. 1 AUG 84 OXFORD ADDRESSES BY D. L. MOODY. Price One Penny each; 7s. 6d. per 100, either Assorted, or of any separate Address. GOOD NEWS. "WHERE ART THOU ?" "THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE." CHRIST SEEKING SINNERS. "LET THE WICKED FORSAKE HIS WAY." THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. "LOVE THAT PASSETH KNOWLEDGE." CHRIST ALL AND IN ALL. THE TWO CLASSES. REPENTANCE AND RESTITUTION. "DARE TO BE A DANIEL !" PLAIN WORDS ON CONVERSION. May also be had, complete in a Packet, Price is. LONDON: MORGAN & SCOTT, 12, PATERnoster BuildinGS. And may be ordered of any Bookseller. |