Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-01
Cf,e Cost.

human soul is beyond our understanding.
The expense of Gods grace bestowed
surpasses all that we can comprehend.
But this we should realize, that the Son
of God has undertaken the work from
before the foundation of the world
writes Rev. DIR. Joseph Bradley in the
Westminster.
The little we know Of the meaning of
this assumption of responsibility, from
what is revealed in the Scriptures, is suf-
ficient not only to fill us with assurance
that Jesus Is able and willing to save
sinful man. but that His whole soul is in
the work, and every resource of His di-
vine power Is employed to make the
greatest possible success of His endeayor.
We easily conceive that all heaven and
hell are watching the process and progress
of Jesus efforts to save souls-to take
of 1.-The children of Satan and transform
them into His own divine likeness that
they shall be sons Of God" and prepared
to dwell in communion and fellowship
with the Father and His Son forever
This is expressly what the salvation of
each soul means.
How is it done? By the personal work
of Jesus with each soul Through the
cooperation of the Holy Spirit. From
the beginning of time He has been de-
votedly engaged in accomplishing this
purpose. He declared that He came ito
seek and to save that which was lost"
He became "Son of Man" by taking upon
himself q complete human nature, where
by He is justified in calling himself by
that namely the same token those
whom He saves are justly called "sons
of Cod because they are given di-
II I'll
this work the first element entering into
1t is that God SO loved the world that
He gave Jesus. His Son. to secure so
great purpose, and the same infinite
force filled and now fills Jesus. Here we
have revealed the sufficient motive power
to carry on the work of salvation. The
love of God. all of God. is devoted to the
saving of human souls and bringing them
to himself, to be ever with Him in life
of perfect blessedness. 1t is done through
love-the love of God toward us and love
toward God in us. BY this combined
power and only thus are men saved.
Heart power is infinite power: head
power is earthly; love power is of God,
for God is love.
When believing all this we can well
emphasize that word seek ("to seek
and to save'D as we realize the kind of
seeking which love pursues. Doubtless
this fact is too readily overshadowed by
our extreme eagerness to possess the
significance of the seeking. 1t implies a
persistency which is interchangeable When
in the hereafter we come to know our
selves as we are known. We shall be
overwhelmed in the knowledge of the
tireless zeal and unconquerable devotion
of Chrst's loving search for an opening
to gain an entrance to our hearts, and
to secure full possession of them. As
He died for all He would have all to be
saved. and seeks TO save every man.
LNynv,, vol a,.in is n
lievable that. beginning at the dawn of
on" individual intelligence. Jesus. by His
Spirit. and through every influence which
breaks upon our lives. is seeking to find
a way to our hearts. and draw us TO him
self to show us His love and the Fathers.
that we may have eternal life tJohn,
17:3. AS we remember the long years
while we lived in ignorance of that love,
and turned our backs upon Jesus Through
spiritual blindness and grieyouS hardness
personal Indifference TO the gospel. in
our years of lf-gratifcation. of sinful
indulgence. putting Jesus away from us
but hugging the decetfuI world to our
bosomS. yet not for one moment did He
forsake us, cease to love and per-
sistently follow after us. And this is
altogether according to His word: Can
woman forget her sucking child
yea. these may forget. yet will not l
forget thee" lisa. 1919. Consider this
fact that Jesus love is beyond a mothers
and many waters "a floodl cannot
ruench love tSong of Songs, SD, and
then we may understand what He meant
when saying He came ITO seek and save
to seek with an untiring. unquenchable.
interchangeable earnestness. and with the
same zeal In save. And remember that
this Jesus ia Yours. Whoever you may
he. and however far YOU may have
wandered away. He has continually sought
To gain your love and trust and bring
YOU to knowledge OF the truth. Because
He loves Won. and wants you mot your
money not your prayers. not your tolls
nothing that YOU can give-but only
Yourself. Your heart. Here remember
those parallels in Luke -: That the
Kingdom OF heaven Is like the man going
after his lost sheep: the woman diligently
seeking her lost piece of money; and the
eager. hopeful. happy father rejoicing
when his lost son was found-was dead
and has been restored alive,
IT yet. today, YOU are hiding away from
your heavenly Friend and Savior. If yet
you have not been saved. will you not
now turn To Him. and acknowledge and
trust Him with the loving confidence He
stili earnestly Graves from you, and
Of which He has proved himself worthy?
Able and willing to save all who come
unto Him, let His seeking end here and
now. and His saving begin.