The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-29

hsroms d,scouraged. What we need 70 understand Is that although Cnrist
 lnre.eminentfy the seeking Christ, He cannot possibIy enter until we our selves make an entrance for Him. a word. there must be some decidod ss. on our part, to enable His entering io our hearts. an act involving one affection for Him as Savior A~
 dfenes to Him as King. o, .h,.
 Now. see what the nature VI 'nis knockins is. what it means to Us Tor C,hr,,t to be the seeking Christ we hear Him saying: "Bshold, stand at the door and knock" The son oi Man ,s., ,s come win VI nv what vivid power and inn Sr...s.s,as. this brings before our risfor the beloved form of Him who x,as indeed the beauty of holiness. How If makes us see Him standing be- fore the door of each human heafts How 1t makes us hear His Knocks ore after the other as He pleads for en. trancei How 1t makes us understand that He is the divine guest who seeks our hospitality, and who longs to en- fer and take up His abode with us! How 1t makes us appreciate the words of Scripture. Behold. thy King com sth"--thy King seeking His own with infinite yearning. with sinexpressibie love. with inexhaustible sympathy!
 But, remember. He cannot enter the door of the human soul until 1t Is opened to Him. and opened from with in and not from without. He cannot open it Himself. He will not enter unbidden. Strange. you say. Yet. 1t Is necessary because of the facts Of our nature as free reasoning, self determining beings. Therefore, the s~.txtr, rbrt.x Skus doola xsftfh trn and respects the personality of each in- dividual man and woman. He does not force His way in. He Is not will ing to be received as an unwelcoming guest We must first invite Him. The request to enter must come from us, come of our own free will. con scious and deliberate act. This Is the only proof we desire His presence. and that His coming will be of help to us. Hence. the responsibility of dealing with His knocks is ours. He continual ly knocks Yes. but remember you can keep fast closed the door. He knocks only. He does not force the door open. 1t will remain shut and forever shut, if its opening depends upon Him alone. Beside the door He stands and knocks. Long and patient ly He waits. He never despairs. but He never forces an entrance.
 Because He does not compel us to open the door. but waits for us to bid Him enter Is no proof that He is in- different to our needs and difficulties. For, observe. He comes first. He comes too, of Ills own accord, He comes, im- pelled by the great love wherewtth He loves us He does not wait until we ask Him to come. If so He would be waiting still. Nor. are we required to go out into the highways and by ways of life to search for Him and bring him to the door. No. He comes and seeks us. He comes to the door of our hearts. He draws near to us, as near as He can. and He knocks, thus making His presence known. He Is urged and driven onwards in this coming by a never falling sympathy and a Divine yearning for our saliva tion. Hence. before we begin to seek Him. He seeks us. He taught us. you remember, "the Son of Man is come to seek--that which was lost" Let us not forget. however, although He seeks us of His own will. He cannot possibly enter fully into our lives and save us without our wills. It is a tremendous fact of life, far-reaching and fraught with eternal possibilities that Christ, the Ss'ior of the world. oP 6AA nf