The Lexington advertiser., 1904-03-10
Copyright, 1904, by ]. NJ. Edson.)
way and Byway" Preacher.

! life, then does the soul begin to know
what Jesus meant when He said: HE
that believeth on the Son HATH eternal
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 to
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
a man loses his will and his personality
when he surrenders to God When |
knock on the door to my home, it is not
with the intention of destroying that
door. do not want it to open to me that
| may wrench it from its hinges ard
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 un-
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-
tion to perform which cannot be dis
pensed with. Without the will the heart
is unsafe. Jesus knocks not to con-
demn, but that He may come in and dig
Nifty and strengthen that door, that He
innroo ca ,cafn1poce Tho 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 a right to knock for ad-
y mittance. First Of all because as
the created work of God we belong to
Him. | have right to knock upon the
door of my home because it belongs to
me. 1t Is my home, and, therefore,
have indisputable right to knock, and
when | knock | expect to be admitted.
Jesus has q 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 gnawing pangs. And
the heart is often unconscious of and
Indifferent to its need, but the need is |
there. And Jesus has right to knock |
because of that need. In the home of |
my neighbor is dire need They are
without food and fire | learn of the |
sad condition. and because of the need |
there, | have a right to go to my neigh
boris door and knock for admittance. II |
'ect right to knock In fact, if knock
rot, 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 for
ldmHtance. If curiosity brings me to
he door, if knock because wish with
1rying eyes to witness the suffering, then
nay my right to knock be questioned.
Gut II | come bringing supplies which
shall satisfy the needs then is my claim
If right to knock fully established. And
when Jesus comes to the heart and
Knocks, it is not only because of the
iced within, but because He is fully able
o supply that need. Jesus does come
o the human heart and knock for ad-
mission. He is knocking at your heart
ven now while these words are being
poken, and He has right to knock be-
ause you are Gods creation, because
our soul has an undying need, and be-
ause He Is abundantly able to supply
hat need.
T HE door of the heart, then. is the