Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-11-28

come into your life. Don't keep Him
out any longer. God told them in your
heart of live; put your arms about
/, these sinners in Ottumwa and save
them. For 1900 years God has knock
ed at your old stonys obtuse, hard
heart. He knocked when your wife
died; he knocked when your boy
died; he is knocking at this meeting
and you steel yourself, with all the
power you have, to keep Him out. You
are fool. Behold / stand at the
door and knock,
Open the Door.
Your will is the bolt. God cannot
force the door God will not break your
will. A man with broken will
would descend to the realms of mat
ter and become like a flower which Is
trodden upon
When you go to home you push
a button or ring the door bell. They
had neither in those days, SO they
had to knock Some of you people
have been kind enough to ask me
to come to your homes for dinner.
I don't accept invitations out often,
for two reasons. First, 1t kills me to
visit Second, | haven't the time.
There are three reasons and the third
is that l couldn't begin to eat the
food you put before me aud then
stand up here and preach. You
would expect me to eat the food you
get ready and there are very few
things | can eat that agree with me-.
| have found out what my stomach
likes and I'm on awfully good terms
with it. But some of you have been
kind enough to ask me to come, and
have said that possibly | will.
Surprising tomorrow, at l o'clock !
walk into your home, into the parlor,
sit down. cross my legs, pick up
/ newspaper and begin to read. Pres
emily you will come in and say: "How
. do you do, Mr.. Sunday" How do you
| do? have come up to dinner today"
You say: 81 am delighted to see you"
J You know that isn't SO. You would
go out and say, He's A queer man. !
| didn't ask him to come today. He
didn't say he would come today And
, i'll would come that way, unannounc-
J ed. would not be welcome
5 Furthermore, I have walked. and
ridden and driven about the streets
of Ottumwa and have looked at the
homes Of the rich and the poor, My,
. you have some beautiful homes around
! here. Well, supposing I would say:
: 4 guess we'll STAY in one of them the
} rest of the time We are in Ottumwa.
| I'd get the expressman to 60 for our
e trunks and I'd say, Come on, boys,
| lets go We would drive up there
s with our bag and baggage and I'd say
? to the expressnlan. Come on, well
. help YOU take the trunks up" I'll
l take that front room; the light looks
t good there" The lady would come il
c and say: who are you, sir? What
S does this mean" And would say
! my name is Sunday. How do yo,
, do I've looked at your home, and
= being struck with, its beauty we have
: made up our minds to stay here i
l ! did q. thing like that in your home
!. I'd be no moro welcome there thar
| Jesus Christ would be welcome II
your heart if He forced Himself II
: there when you didn't want Him
, For me to be Welcome III that home
:, I. would have to go in response II
= their invitation and if they didn''
: give me the invitation l never would
= cross the Threshold of their home
= Jesus Christ will stand and knock
\ but if you want Him to come in vol
', have to open the door and invite
!, Him. If you don't, He will never
4 cross the Threshold That's the rea
y son he has been waiting outside unit
some of you men are gray headed. HI
has knocked, but you won't invite
Him in and He won't come in. Neye
y will He do it.
Some Ready; Some Hating.
I have looked this audience owe
4 for going on three weeks and 20,
y have done many things. Some hav'
- opened the door and let Him in, thanl
:, God for you Some stand with thei
u hand on the latch. hesitating. The.
have heard Him rap; they know the,
:. ought. to do 1t, and. they stand wait
- ing. hesitating as to whether the,
:, will open the door and say Come in.
~ They know He will come if they dc
q There are others that have heard an
~. are troubled. They can't eat, ca
= hardly sleep, are uncomfortable, wal
n the streets, talk with this one an
n that one. The wife notices he doesn'
"a feel good She says: whats the maj
ID ter with you, you don't eat and 20
- don't sleep?" You say, Il don
III KNOW. US tIOuDle Is tlldI- W
/. wants to get into your heart and 70
l. are keeping Him out. The world says
o, DON'T" Jesus Christ says, Come,
and there you are. They don't kno'
er what to do. They would like to go i
IN and still keep the world. They kno'
they can't do both. They are trol
,e bled.
e Others are trying to drown thei
le feelings, and when somebody come
to them and asks them to give thei
:" heart to Christ, they will cuss an
n, damn them They have heard Jesu
r. rap, but they are trying to drow
III the pleadings.
1t, Some have heard Him rap an
I'll have said, 81 will not" and ther
d. are men in Ottumwa just as trul
er damned as If they were in hell no
n instead of being in their homes, {
"a out riding, or sitting in this building
= They are damned
Where Have You Placed Him?