The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-05
THE CHRISTIANS CRY
CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE

and often finding tnem. or Course such
cry OF deepsir cannot be- answered,
and according TO their faith IL is unto
them.
Bat there are others who see q deliv-
GRANGE promised them in the Scriptures
ana who teal that they cannot rcet until
they find it. They read the de clars.ion
that oue "old man is crucified with
Christ, that she body of Gin might be
destroyed. that hencsforth they should
not eorvo SIM" and they see fur Their hat
they arc commanded to put off this cru
cihed old man, and to put on the new
man, which. after God, Ia created in
righteousness and true holiness" And
they echo this cry Of the Apostles
with some hope of finding an answer.
But they make the mistake of echoing
1t with vital alteration; for they say,
instead OF "Who." "Whatshall deliver
mo-" and some spend 6 liie.time in try
Ing to find an answer to this what?
They try all sorts Of modes of deliver
ance. They try earnest Christian work.
They try careful study Of the Scrip
tures, and the continued discovery of
new truths: They try resolutions. and
efforts. and prayers, and wrestlings.
Sometimes they try CROSS bearing, and
even penances. Each mode thus tried
will seem to give momentary deliver
ance, snd the soul rejoices that now at
last 1t has discovered the thing that an
swers its question, Of What shall de-
liver me?"
But these momentary deliverances
are gone almost before they have been
enjoyed, and the old cry has to be taken
up again, with q ssdder and more des-
pairing heart than ever. But still they
do not see the mistake in their question,
and they continually reiterase their
what" with an ever increasing hope
lessnesa.
1t Is indeed. ques ion that can never
be answered.
There is no thing tina. can effect this
deliverance. Only Person can per-
form such mighty work, and this Per-
son the Son OF God alone. When the
soul comes to know this; whom Il has
tried ali other ways, and has found them
vain; when everything has failed Ut
:erIy and hopelessly, then it begins to
cry out in its despair, Who shall de-
liver me?" And to this cry the answer
Is very near at hand: ~ thank God,
through Jesus Christ my Lord"
To ,he question, What shall de-
liver?" there may be many answers.
The Church has found many, as she
thinks. The convent and the monas-
ttries Of the Romish Church are stand
ing memorials of her vain attempts to
answer 1t. Many an earnest soul,
doubt not, has gone into these places,
goaded on by this forever tormenting
and forever unanswered question:
What shall deliver me from the body
Of this death?"
But to the question, "Who shall de-
liver me?" there can be but one an
swer. Every Christian heart instinct
lively knows this. II o person is to de-
liver us, 1t can be but one, and that one
the Lord jesus Christ. So soon, then,
ss we come to the point of asking,
"WHo," the answer comes at once, and
ell our troubles are as an end. Our
hearts cry out joyfully. II thank God,
through Jesus Christ our Lord" and we
find ourselves delivered. Jesus csn do
It; we none of US doubt this, and He
alone. And since He il the very One
provided to it, what mighty encour-
sgement we have to come snd have It
done. We want this delivernnce, and
We aee 1t promised; let US have it then.
But how? This Is now the grand
question. l would reply: How do we
ever get any spiritual blessing? Whss
is the way God has arranged for US 80
apprehend or lay hold Of any of
hended of Christ Jesus? There is, Of
coure, but one answer to this question
1t has always been by faith. What
things soever ye desire when ye pray,
believe that ye receive them aud ye
shall have them" Everything we have
ever received in the past, we have OBJ
tanned by asking and trusting. Aud
everything in the fusure Is to be OBJ
tanned In Lhe same way. Above all
things, this. Nowhere else Is faith 80
absolut elY essential as in finding this
deliverance. Ana nowhere else does
Gods rule 30 absolutely apply, "Ac-
cordiDg to thy faith it shall be unto
thee"
But what sort of faith? will be the
next question; and how am l TO exer-
else Il? John v. Ia, Is, answer this
question. We have here the whole pro-
cess Of faith clearly stated. And this
is the confidence that we have in Him.
that II We ask anything according to
His will. He henreth US; and II we know
that he hear US, whatsoever we ssk, we
know that we HAVE the petition that
we desire OF Him Notice that 1t is
have, not will have. There Is an inf
mite distance between theae two.
Follow this process, then, you who
desire to experience this deliverance,
and you will find the work done. Settle
It first that you really do desire to be
delivered from the "body Of this death"
Settle it next that 1t is In accordance
with His will that you should bs deliy-
cred. Then AJAX for It, And then be-
lieve that you do receive 1t. And
have Gods word for IL that you SHALL
HAVE TT
The way 10 just as simple and plain
as 1t lie possible for q way to be.
Desire; ask; believe that you re-
oeive; and you ehall have.
And then, having believed. never