Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-04-26
The Cart before the Horse.

|
err heard a word about love to God or doing
our duty to our fellow men," The man
was manifestly in earnest: so we went into
the vestry together, and | there learnt his
spiritual history.
For years before the time of our meeting
he had been an avowed sceptic. But he
had again been awakened to know that
there is God, and that his eternal destiny
was in the hands of him whom he had of
Tended; and so he had set himself very
earnestly to find a way back into Gods ia
vor. His attempts had failed to satisfy his
own conscience He knew that they could
not satisfy God. (Read John 3, 20.) He
had come to the meetings hoping to be put
upon some plan of doing more, or of doing
it better. And at the time we met he was
chagrined and angry at being continually
pointed away from his own doings to Jesus
as the only way of reconciliation between
a guilty man and his offended God.
| pointed out to him that as a law break
er, he was already under sentence of etern-
al death, and that his first business was to
get that sentence removed that even tho
he were enabled to do the will of God per-
lectly from the present moment, there
would still be the long debt of his past life
of sin to meet him at the judgment day,
and demand that he be cast forever into
the prison of hell. told him Of Jesus as
Saviour present in that room with us; a
Saviour who, in unsolicited grace had borne
sins awful penalty on the cross, and had
borne it "lor the ungodly:" and who was
offering to be Redeemer and Saviour to
him then and there Matt. IL, rs j and |
urged him to kneel down with me and tell
the Lord Jesus whether or not he had &C
cepted his offer. The big drops of persl i
ration were standing on his brow through
intense inward conflict We knelt down
| together. In words that were heart deep
he confessed his helplessness, cast himself
on the Saviour's mercy, and expressed his
acceptance of Him to be all his salvation.
We rose from our knees: Have you Civ
en- yourself to the Lord jesus" | asked.
Eyes"
But has He received you"
He paused awhile and then said Il
don't know; don't feel any difference"
pointed out to him that this was not a
matter on which his feelings could give
any answer; but that it was question of
believing Jesus word, not of feeling a diff
ference. A transaction had taken place
between two persons, the one made an Of
fer, the other had accepted it. The only
question now to be settled was, Is the per-
son whose offer you accepted trustworthy
Jesus promises that him that comeh to
Him, He will in nowise cast out. You
have come. Has He kept his word with
your" Yes" he answered; "then he has
received me-he is not unfaithlul to his
promise"
We parted fer The night. Next evening
he came 10 me with face beaming with
the satisfaction which filled his heart. "Ah
sir" were his first words, 81 see it all now
1 Lave been trying, as we say to put tn,
cart before the horse"
Reader, that which keeps many thou
sands away from Christ is this, that they
are insisting on having the cart put before
the horse. One is waiting till he gets NOR,
love to God, or more excellence to persona
character, before coming to Christ for par
don and salvation. He is waiting for tn,
fruits OF faith, that by these he may be en-
couraged to plant the tree. Another i
waiting for the Holy Ghost, or for tn,
T fruits of his indwelling, that he may be en-
5 couraged by these to believein Jesus. II
5 is expecting to enjoy the Giving water,
or the refreshment that the living waite
? brings, before coming to Jesus, the Fount
ain whence alone the living water can be
I obtained. Another is waiting for feeling
e He wants to 'feel difference" in orde
5 that he may be encouraged by this to trus
the word of promise which the living Sa
= viour has given. He is forgetting that tn
feeling ofsecurity and of thankfulness mus
t spring from the trust which the soul re
y poses on Jesus; not the trust from the feel
t ing security.
y The horse must go before the cart, dea
# reader-the cause before the effect; tn
It coming to the Great Physician before an
e experience of cure. You must trust Je
n sus markedly. If you want reasons for doin
If so, you must look to find them in Jesu
e Himself Look at what He is-the Go
e of salvation. Look at what He has don
IS for sinners-at what He has promised t
d do for all that come to Him. Let these b
l. your reasons for trusting Him. Naked an
r, helpless, with nothing but your need I
e plead for you. Venture yourself on Jesu
y and you shall not be put to shame. "Tlt
h is a faithful saying and worthy of all az
ceptation that Christ Jesus came into tt
t, world to save sinners" even the chief
j. Tim. l, 15.)-Heraid Of Mercy.