The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-11-17
But we have not cutie cot at the real

But we have not quite got at the real
root of the difficulty yet. Doubtless some
Of you are thinking that if some particular
thing which veXes you were out of the way
you would be all right and your peace
would flow as river. No, that is not the
trouble. It is not some petty vexation
that constitutes the bitterness in your cup.
If You probe your hearts deeper you will
discover that the real reason is that You
are not right with God. You have not
truly and heartily believed in Jesus. You
have thought good deal about religion.
but you have never clearly taken the peace
full step. and until you do YOU will never
experience true and abiding peace. Un-
til YOU do this fully in obedience and devo.
ton to Jesus Christ; not until you are able
to say. very humbly. yet with sincerity: -!
know whom I have believed" Not til!
then can You be at peace.
I am not called upon to explain the mys-
terry of Christ by which we are able to ar
rive at this blessed conviction of faith. Il
would be difficult thing to follow bv
logical process. There are many things IN
the working out of your deepest conscience
which are beyond our logic. Nevertheless:
I say there is no escape into the realm OF
Jesus Christ. The thing that is at the bot
tom of the fear is the latent conviction that
you are not right with God. It is that
which kept you vaguely unsatis6cd. 1t is
eating the heart out Of your enjoyment Of
life. Get that right once and you WI Il re.
ceive the "peace Of God which passeth I'M
derstanding." Perhaps I may not have
been sufficiently personal. direct and pun"
gent, and if so, pray Gods forgiveness
and yours. 1t will not heal a deeply
poisoned wound to skin it over. I pray
you, probe your hearts to the nttermost
If you feel you have been wrong until now
central stay made firm and strong. Get fast
hold OF God The great step is TO be really
persuaded that God is your father To
be persuaded that He loved you. unworthy
as you are: that He reckons You among
the number of those to whom He gives
eternal life. The unrest comes from, the
fear that you have not got on the solid
ground: thar YOU are still worse, risking
the losing of your soul. At any moment
the Master may rise and close the door.
Your soul may suddenly look back roon
ward toward heaven for everlasting. @.
try. I beseech you. for the hone set forth
in the gospel. Have it ont with God. once
for all. Get on terms Of peace with Him
before the dav>,mav close. Cast yourself
in the everlasting arms.
I have spoken Of two things. First, the
consuming care; second. the latent convic-
ton. There is one other experience that
may break our sleep. I pray God that none
of you may have it. It is the experience
of one who has committed spiritual suicide.
In one of Victor Hu9o's books there is
character who, after a long series of exper-
fences. at last arrived at great crisis; he
wavers. hesitates. and then commits co.
1oes,1 =, Tooeoiopca ic inc.,ltod hpvOnH
forgiveness. Then suddenly he hears. as it
were, an internal burst of laugnter-Iaugh-
ter Of the soul-and the soul rarely hears
this iunermost laughter more than once
without hearing it forever. This character
afterward falls asleep and dreams. He en-
ters the town: he comes upon many men
standing in various pastures. silent and I'M
movable, as if dead. In unspeakabie terror
he tries to flee out of the lifeiess city,
when. looking back, he is appalled, to see
the inhabitants coming after him. They
overtake him and hold him and cry: "Do
you know that you have been dead for
long while?" Now and then, in polite So
ciety, in select communities, even in this
fellowship. unknown to us. but not u3:
known to God. one comes upon one of
these dead men. who have heard the inter-
nal hurst of laughter, who mocks and de-
fes God and insults divine mercy. There
is such a thing as spiritual suicide. Men
sometimes by their action o. non.action
take the life OF the soul; they are dead! to
repentance and to hope, and at last they
are dead to God. Thus men drive sleep
forever from their eveiids, like Macbeth.
When once the conviction seizes upon the
soul then farewell to slumber and peace.
God forgive ME if I have spoken too
plainly. if I have misrepresented the spirit
of truth, but if I have been true to the
word of God then let him that hath ears
hear what the spirit says: To-day: If yon
will hear His voice. harden not Your
hearts," Lay hold upon eternal life. Then
you may lay down in sleep; since when voun
awake you shall still be with Him; ard
whether you wake or not, ycu Will be the
Lords and His forever.