St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-03-26

what Jesus meant when He said: He
that believeth on the Son HATH eterna
life" The will is the door. Jesus
knocks, not that the will may be de-
stroyed, but that it may swing open, may
yield to Him and give Him entrance. Sc
many, many dear souls are hindered by
the thought that to yield the will tc
Christ means to lose the will entirely
But never was there greater mistake
made, never did a soul misunderstood
God more, than when it believed that
man loses his will and his personality
when he surrenders to God. When
knock on the door to my home, 1t is not
with the intention of destroying that
door. do not want it to open to me that
l may wrench it from its hinges and
throw it aside as Useless and undesirable.
That door has very useful function to
perform. 1t is absolutely necessary to
the completeness of the house. With
out it the house would be unsafe and I'M
inhabitable. And it is so with the will
the door to the human heart God real
ICES more perfectly than do, you that
that will is necessary that it has func-
ton to perform which cannot be dis
pensed with. Without the will the heart
is unsafe. Jesus knocks not to con-
denim, but that He may come in and dig
nifty and strengthen that door, that He
may increase its usefulness. The will
with God behind it is mighty factor
for good in the world. The will with
God shut out is dangerous and destruc-
tive.
JESUS has d right to knock for ad-
y mittance. First of all because as
the created work of God we belong to
Him. l have right to knock upon the
door of my home because it belongs to
me. It is my home, and, therefore,
have indisputable right to knock, and
when l knock l expect to be admitted.
Jesus has right to knock at the door
Of your heart, because you belong to
Him by right of creation, and when
He knocks He has right to expect to
be admitted And in the second place
Jesus has right to knock for admittance
because of the need within that heart.
The heart may not be really conscious of
that need, but the need is there, neverthe-
less. There is degree of hunger which
becomes Indifferent to food and fails
longer to feel the gnswing pangs. And
the heart is often unconscious of and
Indifferent to it's need, but the need is
there. And Jesus has right to knock
- &h~k To- 10 <Nf
my neighbor is dire need. They are
without food and fire. L learn of the
sad condition, and because of the need
there, have q right to go to my neigh
boris door and knock for admittance. If
never before, at least now, have per-
cot. am cruelty and wickedly neglect
full of my duty. And SO it is with Jesus,
He has right to knock, He must knock
because of the need within. But the
fact of the need within is not all the
warrant that is needed for knocking fer
admittance. II curiosity brings me to
the door, II knock because wish with
prying eyes to witness the suffering, then
may my right to knock be questioned.
But i'll come bringing supplies which
shall satisfy the needs then is my claim
of right to knock fully established. And
when Jesus comes to the heart and
knocks, it is not only because of the
need within, but because He Is fully able
to supply that need. Jesus does come
to the human heart and knock for ad-
mission. He is knocking at your heart
even now while these words are being
spoken, and He has right to knock be-
cause you are Gods creation, because
your soul has an undying need, and be-
cause He is abundantly able to supply
that need.
THE door of the heart, then, is the
will, and Jesus has a three-fold
right to knock for admittance. This
right you cannot deny. Why then
does the door remain shut and barred
against Him? Perhaps you do not
hear the knock? Perhaps you do not
know who stands at the door? Per-
haps you are not willing to take down
the bars that keep the door from
swinging open? Jesus says: Behold,
stand at the door and knock: If any
man hear My voice, and open the door,
will come in to him" Do you not
hear that knock, dear heart? Two
things may keep me from hearing the
knock upon my door. may be away
from home, or other noises, and other
things may so occupy my attention
that am not sensible OF the knocking
on the door. When Jesus knocks, do
you fail to hear because you are away
from home? There was time when you
used to hear His gentle knock, and His
tender voice Of pleading, but now you
do not hear it any longer. You have
hardened your heart and your con-
science has long since ceased to be
sensitive, because you have SO often
refused its message. Your hearts door
does not feel the touch OF Jesus as lie
continues to knock, the telegraph line
OF your conscience no longer carries
uninterrupted the message to your
mind In a certain and awful sense
you are not at home. You remember
how you used to be at home when Je-
sus knocked You refused to hear and
respond, not once, but many, many
times, yea, even scores OF times, and
gradually the tender heart has become
the hard heart and the sensitive con-
science has become the scared con-
science. You are no longer at home.
You 90 not hear the knock or the
voice. But Jesus Is standing there
still, He is still waiting to come in.
nERHAPS you do not hear the
I knocking OF Jesus, and fail to rec