shelter in the storm - by ellen white

7/28/2019 Shelter in the Storm - By Ellen White

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Should the surges rise,

And rest delay to come,Blest be the tempest,

Kind the storm,Which driveth us nearer home,

from an old English poem

tttttheS tormheS tormheS tormheS tormheS torm

S helter inS helter inS helter inS helter inS helter in


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How to come back to God How to come back to God How to come back to God How to come back to God How to come back to God

How to ask Him for forgiveness How to ask Him for forgiveness How to ask Him for forgiveness How to ask Him for forgiveness How to ask Him for forgiveness The New Birth: what it is and how to receive it The New Birth: what it is and how to receive it The New Birth: what it is and how to receive it The New Birth: what it is and how to receive it The New Birth: what it is and how to receive it

How the love of God can change your life How the love of God can change your life How the love of God can change your life How the love of God can change your life How the love of God can change your life

How to keep this new experience How to keep this new experience How to keep this new experience How to keep this new experience How to keep this new experience

tttttheS tormheS tormheS tormheS tormheS torm

8

IN YIN YIN YIN YIN YOUR LIFEOUR LIFEOUR LIFEOUR LIFEOUR LIFEA STORM IS COMINGA STORM IS COMINGA STORM IS COMINGA STORM IS COMINGA STORM IS COMING

HERE IS THE SHELHERE IS THE SHELHERE IS THE SHELHERE IS THE SHELHERE IS THE SHELTERTERTERTERTER

WHAWHAWHAWHAWHAT YT YT YT YT YOU WILL FIND IN THIS BOOK OU WILL FIND IN THIS BOOK OU WILL FIND IN THIS BOOK OU WILL FIND IN THIS BOOK OU WILL FIND IN THIS BOOK

AND MUCH MORE! AND MUCH MORE! AND MUCH MORE! AND MUCH MORE! AND MUCH MORE!

Over two million copiesOver two million copiesOver two million copiesOver two million copiesOver two million copiesin other editionsin other editionsin other editionsin other editionsin other editions

S helter inS helter inS helter inS helter inS helter in

- and how to deepen it- and how to deepen it- and how to deepen it- and how to deepen it- and how to deepen it

How to pray so your prayers will be answered How to pray so your prayers will be answered How to pray so your prayers will be answered How to pray so your prayers will be answered How to pray so your prayers will be answered

Over 200 Bible promises for day-to-day living Over 200 Bible promises for day-to-day living Over 200 Bible promises for day-to-day living Over 200 Bible promises for day-to-day living Over 200 Bible promises for day-to-day living

Real solutions to doubt and discouragement Real solutions to doubt and discouragement Real solutions to doubt and discouragement Real solutions to doubt and discouragement Real solutions to doubt and discouragement

Meeting trials and difficulties Meeting trials and difficulties Meeting trials and difficulties Meeting trials and difficulties Meeting trials and difficulties

in the strength of Christin the strength of Christin the strength of Christin the strength of Christin the strength of Christ

The power of thankfulness The power of thankfulness The power of thankfulness The power of thankfulness The power of thankfulness


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HB123

Shelter in the Storm

by Ellen G. WhitePublished by Harvestime Books

Altamont, TN 37301 USA

Printed in the United States of America

Cover and Text Copyright 1998

FOR ADDITIONAL COPIES

This book may be purchased singly or in boxful quantities.Please contact the publisher for current prices.

ABOUT THE COVERIn the storms of life, we can only be safe withdivine help. The storms come, fiercer than any we can imagine. But Godwill make a way of protection for those who will cling to Him and to HisInspired Word. The light of heaven will illuminate the path before them;His hand will guide the wheel.

The painting on the cover was prepared by the nationally knownartist, J ohn Steel, especially for this book. In describing it, Mr. Steel said:I left the yards off the mizzenmast, and made a bark of her. A bark hadthree masts: with foremast and mainmast, square rigged, and the miz-

zenmast (the third mast), fore and aft rigged. It was a vessel which hadthe features both of the square-rigger and the schooner.

This present volume is primarily composed of all or part oftwo books. Both have been reset in an easy-to-read large type-face that will encourage many more people to read them.

The first thirteen chapters are STEPS TO CHRIST(the1892 edition), unabridged. The last five chapters (chapters14-16) are fromGREAT CONTROVERSY(sixty pages from the1888 edition of this book). We added two introductory pagesto each chapter.

It is widely recognized that chapters 2-3, 25, 29, and 35are among the most important chapters in Great Controversy.These are the chapters that we drew most heavily upon inthe preparation of the last five chapters in this present vol-ume. (See page 203 for additional information.)


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1 Gods Love for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2 The Pathway Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

3 Coming in Repentance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 4 Giving Him Your Sins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 5 Giving Him Your Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 6 By Faith, A New Birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 7 Obeying Him . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 8 Abiding in Him . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 9 Working with Him . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7210 Learning of Him . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8011 Praying to Him . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8812 Staying with Him . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10013 Rejoicing in Him . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

ContentsPART ON E - THE S HELTER

14 How Sin Entered the Universe . . . . . . . 12215 The 2000-Year Prophecy of Christ . . . . . 13616 The Crisis in Our Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15417 A Masterpiece of Deception . . . . . . . . . . 17218 Entering the Final Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

PART TWO - THE S TOR M

Scripture Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

Study Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 Gods Plan for Your Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205


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GodsLovefor

Y ou

C HAP TER ONE

As evening came on, I noticed that another fishing boat

was anchored nearby. I saw that he was also working

alone. Although I did not know who he was, I waved and

noted that he did not respond. He looked drunk. I went

below deck, exhausted from the days work and fell

asleep in my clothes.

I was too tired to take them off.

The cold water had started him shouting.

Quickly I stripped down and dove overboard. It was

obvious he would be gone in another minute. How I ever

got him on board his fishing boat, Ill never know. I

carried him below deck, got dry clothes on him, and put

him into his bunk. I made him some food, and stayed

until he was warm and sleeping soundly.


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I almost didnt make it. Exhausted, I fell into my bunk,but with the happy knowledge that I had saved his life.

Twice I had come close to drowning that night,but a

man had been saved from drowning.

A man I didnt know.

Next morning broke clear and sunny. I awoke about

eight, and went up on deck.

My new friend was leaning on the rail.

But Im your best friend! I cried. I saved your life last

night! At this, he called me a liar and threw every curse

word at me that he knew.

For I had seen a little of what it cost Him, and what they

had given Him in return. And I realized that in that love is

our only hope . .

That incident took place nearly a hundred years ago, but

it points us to a deep truth that has changed livesand

can bring a deep happiness to yours.

Here you will learn not only how to come to Him, but

how to stay with Him in spite of lifes turmoils.

Yes, simple steps to a better and happier life. The pathhome you have been looking for.

For, you see, it all began with the love of God.


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Nature and revelation alike testify of Gods love. OurFather in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy.Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. Think

of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness,not only of man, but of all living creatures. The sunshineand the rain, that gladden and refresh the earth, the hills andseas and plains, all speak to us of the Creators love. It isGod who supplies the daily needs of all His creatures. In the

beautiful words of the psalmist: The eyes of all wait uponThee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season. Thouopenest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living

thing. Psalm 145:15-16.God made man perfectly holy and happy; and the fair

earth, as it came from the Creators hand, bore no blight ofdecay or shadow of the curse. It is transgression of Godslawthe law of lovethat has brought woe and death. Yeteven amid the suffering that results from sin, Gods love isrevealed. It is written that God cursed the ground for manssake (Genesis 3:17). The thorn and the thistlethe difficul-

ties and trials that make his life one of toil and carewereappointed for his good as a part of the training needful inGods plan for his uplifting from the ruin and degradationthat sin has wrought. The world, though fallen, is not allsorrow and misery. In nature itself are messages of hope andcomfort. There are flowers upon the thistles, and the thornsare covered with roses.

God is love is written upon every opening bud, uponevery spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making theair vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flow-ers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of theforest with their rich foliage of living greenall testify tothe tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to makeHis children happy.

The Word of God reveals His character. He Himself has

declared His infinite love and pity. When Moses prayed,Show me Thy glory, the Lord answered, I will make allMy goodness pass before thee (Exodus 33:18-19). This is


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His glory. The Lord passed before Moses, and proclaimed,The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy

for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.Exodus 34:6-7. He is slow to anger, and of great kindness(Jonah 4:2) because He delighteth in mercy (Micah 7:18).

God has bound our hearts to Him by unnumbered to-kens in heaven and in earth. Through the things of nature,and the deepest and tenderest earthly ties that human heartscan know, He has sought to reveal Himself to us. Yet these

but imperfectly represent His love. Though all these evidences

have been given, the enemy of good blinded the minds ofmen, so that they looked upon God with fear; they thoughtof Him as severe and unforgiving. Satan led men to conceiveof God as a being whose chief attribute is stern justice,one who is a severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor. He

pictured the Creator as a being who is watching with jealouseye to discern the errors and mistakes of men, that He mayvisit judgments upon them. It was to remove this dark shadow,

by revealing to the world the infinite love of God, that Jesuscame to live among men.

The Son of God came from heaven to make manifest theFather. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begot-ten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath de-clared Him.John 1:18. Neither knoweth any man the Fa-ther, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal

Him.Matthew 11:27. When one of the disciples made therequest, Show us the Father, Jesus answered, Have I beenso long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me,Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and howsayest thou then, Show us the Father?John 14:8-9.

In describing His earthly mission, Jesus said, The Lordhath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hathsent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to

the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set atliberty them that are bruised.Luke 4:18. This was His work.He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed


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ened with the shadow of death and the curse. He permittedHim to leave the bosom of His love, the adoration of theangels, to suffer shame, insult, humiliation, hatred, and death.

The chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and withHis stripes we are healed.Isaiah 53:5. Behold Him in thewilderness, in Gethsemane, upon the cross! The spotless Sonof God took upon Himself the burden of sin. He who had

been one with God, felt in His soul the awful separation thatsin makes between God and man. This wrung from His lipsthe anguished cry, My God, My God, why hast Thou for-saken Me?Matthew 27:46. It was the burden of sin, the

sense of its terrible enormity, of its separation of the soulfrom Godit was this that broke the heart of the Son ofGod.

But this great sacrifice was not made in order to createin the Fathers heart a love for man, not to make Him willingto save. No, no! God so loved the world, that He gave Hisonly begotten Son.John 3:16. The Father loves us, not be-cause of the great propitiation, but He provided the propitia-

tion because He loves us. Christ was the medium throughwhich He could pour out His infinite love upon a fallen world.God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. 2Corinthians 5:19. God suffered with His Son. In the agonyof Gethsemane, the death of Calvary, the heart of InfiniteLove paid the price of our redemption.

Jesus said, Therefore doth My Father love Me, becauseI lay down My life, that I might take it again.John 10:17.

That is, My Father has so loved you that He even loves Memore for giving My life to redeem you. In becoming yourSubstitute and Surety, by surrendering My life, by takingyour liabilities, your transgressions, I am endeared to MyFather; for, by My sacrifice, God can be just and yet theJustifier of him who believeth in Jesus.

None but the Son of God could accomplish our redemp-

tion; for only He who was in the bosom of the Father coulddeclare Him. Only He who knew the height and depth of thelove of God could make it manifest. Nothing less than the


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infinite sacrifice made by Christ, in behalf of fallen man couldexpress the Fathers love to lost humanity.

God so loved the world, that He gave His only begot-

ten Son. He gave Him not only to live among men, to beartheir sins, and die their sacrifice. He gave Him to the fallenrace. Christ was to identify Himself with the interests andneeds of humanity. He who was one with God has linkedHimself with the children of men by ties that are never to be

broken. Jesus is not ashamed to call them brethren (He-brews 2:11); He is our Sacrifice, our Advocate, our Brother,

bearing our human form before the Fathers throne, and

through eternal ages one with the race He has redeemedthe Son of man. And all this that man might be uplifted fromthe ruin and degradation of sin that he might reflect the loveof God and share the joy of holiness.

The price paid for our redemption, the infinite sacrificeof our heavenly Father, in giving His Son to die for us, shouldgive us exalted conceptions of what we may become throughChrist. As the inspired apostle John beheld the height, the

depth, the breadth of the Fathers love toward the perishingrace, he was filled with adoration and reverence; and, failingto find suitable language in which to express the greatnessand tenderness of this love, he called upon the world to be-hold it. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath be-stowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. 1

John 3:1. What a value this places upon man! Through trans-gression the sons of man become subjects of Satan. Through

faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ the sons of Adam maybecome the sons of God. By assuming human nature, Christelevates humanity. Fallen men are placed where, through con-nection with Christ, they may indeed become worthy of thename sons of God.

Such love is without a parallel. Children of the heavenlyKing! Precious promise! Theme for the most profound medi-

tation! The matchless love of God for a world that did notlove Him! The thought has a subduing power upon the souland brings the mind into captivity to the will of God. The


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more we study the divine character in the light of the cross,the more we see mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness blendedwith equity and justice and the more clearly we discern innu-

merable evidences of a love that is infinite and a tender pitysurpassing a mothers yearning sympathy for her waywardchild.

For God so loved the world,

That He gave His only begotten Son,

That whosoever believeth in Him Should not perish,

But have everlasting life.

John 3:16

In this was manfested

The love of God toward us,

Because that God sent

His only begotten Son into the world,

That we might live through Him. 1 John 4:9

He that spared not His own Son,

But delivered Him up for us all;

How shall He not, with Him

Also freely give us all things?

Romans 8:32

Behold, what manner of love

the Father hath bestowed upon us,

That we should be called

the Sons of God!

1 John 3:1


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ThePathway

H ome

C HAP TER TWO

How Andy did love those children! And how he cared for

them! They worked together on their little mountainfarm, when the children were not at the little one-room

schoolhouse down the road.

But then one day it happened.

Andy was out in the fields working when the fire started.

But that morning both girls were in the house!

As soon as he saw the smoke he ran. His precious Suzy

and Cindy! He prayed as he raced across the field and

through a wooded area, for he had already learned byexperience that God could answer prayer.

J ust as he set foot on the outside porch, the burning


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rafters collapsed behind him into the building. Even yet,

sparks and smoke and flame seemed everywhere, but

somehow he struggled out into the yard. They were safe.

Hearing about it, the local magistrate said that Andyschildren must be taken from him and given to people

who would give them a better home. This put the whole

town in an uproar; and, on the day of the custody trial,

the courtroom was packed.

First, the county attorney stood and told why he thought

the children should be taken from Andy. The people

respected him because he had lots of learning.

At this, total silence came over the entire room and the

judge tried to speak, but had a hard time getting the

words out. Then he said this:

The whole building erupted in a burst of cheers, for

Andywho loved his own more than the whole world and

had proved himself willing to die to save themwas now

to receive his own back again.


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against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neitherindeed can be.Romans 8:7. Education, culture, the exer-cise of the will, human effort, all have their proper sphere,

but here they are powerless. They may produce an outwardcorrectness of behavior, but they cannot change the heart;they cannot purify the springs of life. There must be a powerworking from within, a new life from above, before men can

be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. Hisgrace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul andattract it to God, to holiness.

The Saviour said, Except a man be born from above,unless he shall receive a new heart, new desires, purposes,and motives, leading to a new life, he cannot see the king-dom of God (John 3:3, margin). The idea that it is neces-sary only to develop the good that exists in man, by nature,is a fatal deception. The natural man receiveth not the thingsof the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: nei-ther can he know them, because they are spiritually dis-

cerned.1 Corinthians 2:14. Marvel not that I said untothee, Ye must be born again.John 3:7. Of Christ it is writ-ten, In Him was life; and the life was the light of men . .there is no other name under heaven given among men,whereby we must be saved (John 1:4; Acts 4:12).

It is not enough to perceive the loving-kindness of God,to see the benevolence, the fatherly tenderness, of His char-acter. It is not enough to discern the wisdom and justice of

His law, to see that it is founded upon the eternal principle oflove. Paul, the apostle, saw all this when he exclaimed, Iconsent unto the law that it is good . . The law is holy, andthe commandment holy, and just, and good. But he added,in the bitterness of his soul anguish and despair, I am car-nal, sold under sin (Romans 7:16, 12, 14). He longed forthe purity, the righteousness, to which in himself he was pow-erless to attain, and cried out, O wretched man that I am!

who shall deliver me from this body of death?Romans 7:24.Such is the cry that has gone up from burdened hearts in alllands and in all ages. To all, there is but one answer, Be-


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hold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of theworld.John 1:29.

Many are the figures by which the Spirit of God hassought to illustrate this truth and make it plain to souls thatlong to be freed from the burden of guilt. When, after his sinin deceiving Esau, Jacob fled from his fathers home, he wasweighed down with a sense of guilt. Lonely and outcast ashe was, separated from all that had made life dear, the onethought that above all others pressed upon his soul was thefear that his sin had cut him off from God, that he was for-

saken of Heaven. In sadness he lay down to rest on the bareearth, around him only the lonely hills, and above, the heav-ens bright with stars. As he slept, a strange light broke uponhis vision; and lo, from the plain on which he lay, vast shad-owy stairs seemed to lead upward to the very gates of heaven,and upon them angels of God were passing up and downwhile, from the glory above, the divine voice was heard in amessage of comfort and hope. Thus was made known to

Jacob that which met the need and longing of his soulaSaviour. With joy and gratitude he saw revealed a way bywhich he, a sinner, could be restored to communion withGod. The mystic ladder of his dream represented Jesus, theonly medium of communication between God and man.

This is the same figure to which Christ referred in Hisconversation with Nathanael, when He said, Ye shall seeheaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descend-

ing upon the Son of man.John 1:51. In the apostasy, manalienated himself from God; earth was cut off from heaven.Across the gulf that lay between, there could be no commun-ion. But through Christ, earth is again linked with heaven.With His own merits, Christ has bridged the gulf which sinhad made, so that the ministering angels can hold commun-ion with man. Christ connects fallen man in his weaknessand helplessness with the Source of infinite power.

But in vain are mens dreams of progress, in vain allefforts for the uplifting of humanity, if they neglect the one


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Source of hope and help for the fallen race. Every good giftand every perfect gift (James 1:17) is from God. There isno true excellence of character apart from Him. And the only

way to God is Christ. He says, I am the way, the truth, andthe life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.John14:6.

The heart of God yearns over His earthly children with alove stronger than death. In giving up His Son, He has pouredout to us all heaven in one gift. The Saviours life and deathand intercession, the ministry of angels, the pleading of theSpirit, the Father working above and through all, the un-

ceasing interest of heavenly beings,all are enlisted in be-half of mans redemption.

Oh, let us contemplate the amazing sacrifice that hasbeen made for us! Let us try to appreciate the labor and en-ergy that Heaven is expending to reclaim the lost, and bringthem back to the Fathers house. Motives stronger, and agen-cies more powerful, could never be brought into operation;the exceeding rewards for rightdoing, the enjoyment of

heaven, the society of the angels, the communion and loveof God and His Son, the elevation and extension of all our

powers throughout eternal agesare these not mighty in-centives and encouragements to urge us to give the heartsloving service to our Creator and Redeemer?

And, on the other hand, the judgments of God pro-nounced against sin, the inevitable retribution, the degrada-tion of our character, and the final destruction are presented

in Gods Word to warn us against the service of Satan.Shall we not regard the mercy of God? What more could

He do? Let us place ourselves in right relation to Him whohas loved us with amazing love. Let us avail ourselves of themeans provided for us that we may be transformed into Hislikeness and be restored to fellowship with the ministeringangels, to harmony and communion with the Father and theSon.

The fear of the Lord prolongeth days.

Proverbs 10:27


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Comingin

Repentance

C HAPTER THREE

He said, as he headed toward the barn to repair the

plow. He was thankful that the harvest had been com-

pleted the day before and now was stored safely in the

barn. If a rain came now, it could not hurt the wheat.And, no doubt, a rain was needed. Everything was dry.

In spite of the urgency that now pressed like a weight

upon each one, they all knelt together in that kitchen and

prayed around the circle: each one pleading with God to

save their farm.

Jim, hitch up the team to the plow! Father, we cant,

Jim cried. The plows broken!

I forgot. So we cant use it to plow a firebreak; wellhave to set a backfire! Helen, you and the girls begin

hauling water out of the well. Fill every container. Well


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need it if the sides of the buildings start smoking.

By now, Father noticed that a strong wind was blowing

as he and J im began carefully setting backfires. They

knew that upwind somewhere was a far bigger fire. And

it was headed their way.

With the stiff wind, even backfires were not safe, and

progress went slowly. When it came time for lunch, theyate hurriedly as they kept working.

Fortunately, they had an early warning of what was

coming. By afternoon, the smell of smoke was becoming

stronger, but the rolling plains hid the flames from their

sight. All they could do was watch and pray and work.

With their eyes riveted to the west, the family watched as

the flames drew nearer and reached the burned-over

area where the backfire had been set. The smoke in

their nostrils and the heat on their faces was almost

impossible to bear.


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How shall a man be just with God? How shall the sinnerbe made righteous? It is only through Christ that we can bebrought into harmony with God, with holiness; but how are

we to come to Christ? Many are asking the same question asdid the multitude on the Day of Pentecost, when, convictedof sin, they cried out, What shall we do? The first word ofPeters answer was, Repent.Acts 2:37-38. At anothertime, shortly after, he said, Repent, . . and be converted,that your sins may be blotted out.Acts 3:19.

Repentance includes sorrow for sin and a turning awayfrom it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinful-

ness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no realchange in the life.

There are many who fail to understand the true nature ofrepentance. Multitudes sorrow that they have sinned and evenmake an outward reformation because they fear that theirwrongdoing will bring suffering upon themselves. But thisis not repentance in the Bible sense. They lament the suffer-ing rather than the sin. Such was the grief of Esau when he

saw that the birthright was lost to him forever. Balaam, ter-rified by the angel standing in his pathway with drawn sword,acknowledged his guilt lest he should lose his life; but therewas no genuine repentance for sin, no conversion of pur-

pose, no abhorrence of evil. Judas Iscariot, after betrayinghis Lord, exclaimed, I have sinned in that I have betrayedthe innocent blood.Matthew 27:4.

The confession was forced from his guilty soul by anawful sense of condemnation and a fearful looking for of

judgment. The consequences that were to result to him filledhim with terror, but there was no deep, heartbreaking griefin his soul, that he had betrayed the spotless Son of God anddenied the Holy One of Israel. Pharaoh, when suffering un-der the judgments of God, acknowledged his sin in order toescape further punishment, but returned to his defiance of

Heaven as soon as the plagues were stayed. These all la-mented the results of sin, but did not sorrow for the sin it-self.


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But when the heart yields to the influence of the Spiritof God, the conscience will be quickened and the sinner willdiscern something of the depth and sacredness of Gods holy

law, the foundation of His government in heaven and on earth.The Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into theworld (John 1:9) illumines the secret chambers of the soul,and the hidden things of darkness are made manifest. Con-viction takes hold upon the mind and heart. The sinner has asense of the righteousness of Jehovah and feels the terror ofappearing, in his own guilt and uncleanness, before theSearcher of hearts. He sees the love of God, the beauty of

holiness, the joy of purity; he longs to be cleansed and to berestored to communion with Heaven.

The prayer of David, after his fall, illustrates the natureof true sorrow for sin. His repentance was sincere and deep.There was no effort to palliate his guilt; no desire to escapethe judgment threatened inspired his prayer. David saw theenormity of his transgression; he saw the defilement of his

soul; he loathed his sin. It was not for pardon only that heprayed, but for purity of heart. He longed for the joy of holi-nessto be restored to harmony and communion with God.This was the language of his soul:

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whosesin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lordimputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.Psalm 32:1-2. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to

Thy lovingkindness: According unto the multitude of Thytender mercies blot out my transgressions . . For I acknowl-edge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me . .Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and Ishall be whiter than snow . . Create in me a clean heart, OGod; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not awayfrom Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me

with Thy free spirit . . Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, OGod, Thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall singaloud of Thy righteousness. Psalm 51:1, 3, 7, 10-12, 14.


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A repentance such as this is beyond the reach of ourown power to accomplish; it is obtained only from Christ,who ascended up on high and has given gifts unto men.

Just here is a point on which many may err, and hencethey fail of receiving the help that Christ desires to give them.They think that they cannot come to Christ unless they firstrepent, and that repentance prepares for the forgiveness oftheir sins. It is true that repentance does precede the forgive-ness of sins; for it is only the broken and contrite heart thatwill feel the need of a Saviour. But must the sinner wait till

he has repented before he can come to Jesus? Is repentanceto be made an obstacle between the sinner and the Saviour?

The Bible does not teach that the sinner must repent be-fore he can heed the invitation of Christ, Come unto Me, allye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28. It is the virtue that goes forth from Christ,that leads to genuine repentance. Peter made the matter clearin his statement to the Israelites when he said, Him hath

God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Sav-iour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 5:31. We can no more repent without the Spirit of Christto awaken the conscience than we can be pardoned withoutChrist.

Christ is the source of every right impulse. He is theonly one that can implant in the heart enmity against sin.Every desire for truth and purity, every conviction of our

own sinfulness, is an evidence that His Spirit is moving uponour hearts.

Jesus has said, I, if I be lifted up from the earth, willdraw all men unto Me.John 12:32. Christ must be revealedto the sinner as the Saviour dying for the sins of the world;and as we behold the Lamb of God upon the cross of Cal-vary, the mystery of redemption begins to unfold to our minds

and the goodness of God leads us to repentance. In dying forsinners, Christ manifested a love that is incomprehensible;and, as the sinner beholds this love, it softens the heart, im-


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presses the mind, and inspires contrition in the soul.It is true that men sometimes become ashamed of their

sinful ways and give up some of their evil habits before they

are conscious that they are being drawn to Christ. But when-ever they make an effort to reform, from a sincere desire todo right, it is the power of Christ that is drawing them. Aninfluence of which they are unconscious works upon the soul,the conscience is quickened, and the outward life is amended.And as Christ draws them to look upon His cross, to beholdHim whom their sins have pierced, the commandment comeshome to the conscience. The wickedness of their life, the

deep-seated sin of the soul, is revealed to them. They beginto comprehend something of the righteousness of Christ, andexclaim, What is sin, that it should require such a sacrificefor the redemption of its victim? Was all this love, all thissuffering, all this humiliation demanded, that we might not

perish, but have everlasting life?The sinner may resist this love, may refuse to be drawn

to Christ; but, if he does not resist, he will be drawn to Jesus.

A knowledge of the plan of salvation will lead him to thefoot of the cross in repentance for his sins, which have causedthe sufferings of Gods dear Son.

The same divine mind that is working upon the thingsof nature is speaking to the hearts of men and creating aninexpressible craving for something they have not. The thingsof the world cannot satisfy their longing. The Spirit of Godis pleading with them to seek for those things that alone can

give peace and restthe grace of Christ, the joy of holiness.Through influences seen and unseen, our Saviour is con-stantly at work to attract the minds of men from the unsatis-fying pleasures of sin to the infinite blessings that may betheirs in Him. To all these souls who are vainly seeking todrink from the broken cisterns of this world, the divine mes-sage is addressed, Let him that is athirst come. And whoso-ever will, let him take the water of life freely.Revelation

22:17.


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You who in heart long for something better than thisworld can give recognize this longing as the voice of God to

your soul. Ask Him to give you repentance, to reveal Christto you in His infinite love, in His perfect purity. In theSaviours life the principles of Gods lawlove to God andmanwere perfectly exemplified. Benevolence, unselfishlove, was the life of His soul. It is as we behold Him, as thelight from our Saviour falls upon us, that we see the sinful-ness of our own hearts.

We may have flattered ourselves, as did Nicodemus, that

our life has been upright, that our moral character is correct,and think that we need not humble the heart before God, likethe common sinner; but, when the light from Christ shinesinto our souls, we shall see how impure we are. We shalldiscern the selfishness of motive, the enmity against God,that has defiled every act of life. Then we shall know thatour own righteousness is indeed as filthy rags and that the

blood of Christ alone can cleanse us from the defilement of

sin and renew our hearts in His own likeness.

One ray of the glory of God, one gleam of the purity ofChrist, penetrating the soul, makes every spot of defilement

painfully distinct and lays bare the deformity and defects ofthe human character. It makes apparent the unhallowed de-sires, the infidelity of the heart, the impurity of the lips. Thesinners acts of disloyalty, in making void the law of God,

are exposed to his sight, and his spirit is stricken and af-flicted under the searching influence of the Spirit of God. Heloathes himself as he views the pure, spotless character ofChrist.

When the prophet, Daniel, beheld the glory surroundingthe heavenly messenger that was sent unto him, he was over-whelmed with a sense of his own weakness and imperfec-tion. Describing the effect of the wonderful scene, he says,

There remained no strength in me: for my comeliness wasturned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.

Daniel 10:8. The soul thus touched will hate its selfishness,


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abhor its self-love, and will seek, through Christs righteous-ness, for the purity of heart that is in harmony with the lawof God and the character of Christ.

Paul says that as touching the righteousness which isin the lawas far as outward acts were concernedhe wasblameless (Philippians 3:6); but, when the spiritual char-acter of the law was discerned, he saw himself a sinner. Judged

by the letter of the law as men apply it to the outward life, hehad abstained from sin; but, when he looked into the depthsof its holy precepts and saw himself as God saw him, he

bowed in humiliation and confessed his guilt. He says, Iwas alive without the law once: but when the commandmentcame, sin revived, and I died.Romans 7:9. When he sawthe spiritual nature of the law, sin appeared in its true hid-eousness, and his self-esteem was gone.

God does not regard all sins as of equal magnitude; thereare degrees of guilt in His estimation, as well as in that ofman; but, however trifling this or that wrong act may seem

in the eyes of men, no sin is small in the sight of God. Mansjudgment is partial, imperfect; but God estimates all thingsas they really are. The drunkard is despised and is told thathis sin will exclude him from heaven while pride, selfish-ness, and covetousness too often go unrebuked. But theseare sins that are especially offensive to God; for they arecontrary to the benevolence of His character, to that unself-ish love which is the very atmosphere of the unfallen uni-

verse. He who falls into some of the grosser sins may feel asense of his shame and poverty and his need of the grace ofChrist; but pride feels no need, and so it closes the heartagainst Christ and the infinite blessings He came to give.

The poor publican who prayed, God be merciful to mea sinner (Luke 18:13), regarded himself as a very wickedman. Others looked upon him in the same light; but he felthis need; and, with his burden of guilt and shame he came

before God, asking for His mercy. His heart was open forthe Spirit of God to do its gracious work and set him freefrom the power of sin. The Pharisees boastful, self-righ-


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teous prayer showed that his heart was closed against theinfluence of the Holy Spirit. Because of his distance fromGod, he had no sense of his own defilement, in contrast with

the perfection of the divine holiness. He felt no need, and hereceived nothing.

If you see your sinfulness, do not wait to make yourselfbetter. How many there are who think they are not goodenough to come to Christ. Do you expect to become betterthrough your own efforts? Can the Ethiopian change hisskin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that

are accustomed to do evil.Jeremiah 13:23. There is helpfor us only in God. We must not wait for stronger persua-sions, for better opportunities, or for holier tempers. We cando nothing of ourselves. We must come to Christ just as weare.

But let none deceive themselves with the thought thatGod, in His great love and mercy, will yet save even the re-

jecters of His grace. The exceeding sinfulness of sin can beestimated only in the light of the cross. When men urge thatGod is too good to cast off the sinner, let them look to Cal-vary. It was because there was no other way in which mancould be saved; because, without this sacrifice, it was im-

possible for the human race to escape from the defiling powerof sin, and be restored to communion with holy beings,impossible for them again to become partakers of spiritual

life,it was because of this that Christ took upon Himselfthe guilt of the disobedient and suffered in the sinners stead.The love and suffering and death of the Son of God all tes-tify to the terrible enormity of sin and declare that there is noescape from its power, no hope of the higher life, but throughthe submission of the soul to Christ.

The impenitent sometimes excuse themselves by sayingof professed Christians, I am as good as they are. They are

no more self-denying, sober, or circumspect in their conductthan I am. They love pleasure and self-indulgence as well asI do. Thus they make the faults of others an excuse for their


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own neglect of duty. But the sins and defects of others do notexcuse anyone, for the Lord has not given us an erring hu-man pattern. The spotless Son of God has been given as our

example, and those who complain of the wrong course ofprofessed Christians are the ones who should show betterlives and nobler examples. If they have so high a conceptionof what a Christian should be, is not their own sin so muchthe greater? They know what is right, and yet refuse to do it.

Beware of procrastination. Do not put off the work offorsaking your sins and seeking purity of heart through Jesus.

Here is where thousands upon thousands have erred to theireternal loss. I will not here dwell upon the shortness anduncertainty of life; but there is a terrible dangera dangernot sufficiently understoodin delaying to yield to the plead-ing voice of Gods Holy Spirit, in choosing to live in sin; forsuch this delay really is. Sin, however small it may be es-teemed, can be indulged in only at the peril of infinite loss.What we do not overcome will overcome us and work out

our destruction.Adam and Eve persuaded themselves that, in so small a

matter as eating of the forbidden fruit, there could not resultsuch terrible consequences as God had declared. But thissmall matter was the transgression of Gods immutable andholy law, and it separated man from God and opened thefloodgates of death and untold woe upon our world. Ageafter age, there has gone up from our earth a continual cry of

mourning, and the whole creation groaneth and travailethtogether in pain as a consequence of mans disobedience.Heaven itself has felt the effects of his rebellion against God.Calvary stands as a memorial of the amazing sacrifice re-quired to atone for the transgression of the divine law. Let usnot regard sin as a trivial thing.

Every act of transgression, every neglect or rejection ofthe grace of Christ is reacting upon yourself; it is hardening

the heart, depraving the will, benumbing the understanding,and not only making you less inclined to yield, but less ca-

pable of yielding to the tender pleading of Gods Holy Spirit.


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Many are quieting a troubled conscience with the thoughtthat they can change a course of evil when they choose; that

they can trifle with the invitations of mercy, and yet be againand again impressed. They think that after doing despite tothe Spirit of grace, after casting their influence on the side ofSatan, in a moment of terrible extremity they can changetheir course. But this is not so easily done. The experience,the education, of a lifetime has so thoroughly molded thecharacter that few then desire to receive the image of Jesus.

Even one wrong trait of character, one sinful desire, per-

sistently cherished, will eventually neutralize all the powerof the gospel. Every sinful indulgence strengthens the soulsaversion to God. The man who manifests an infidel hardi-hood or a stolid indifference to divine truth is but reapingthe harvest of that which he has himself sown. In all the Biblethere is not a more fearful warning against trifling with evilthan the words of the wise man that the sinner shall be holdenwith the cords of his sins.Proverbs 5:22.

Christ is ready to set us free from sin, but He does notforce the will; and if, by persistent transgression, the willitself is wholly bent on evil and we do not desire to be setfree, if we will not accept His grace, what more can He do?We have destroyed ourselves by our determined rejection ofHis love. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now isthe day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2. Today if ye will

hear His voice, harden not your hearts.Hebrews 3:7-8.Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord

looketh on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7)the human heart,with its conflicting emotions of joy and sorrow; the wander-ing, wayward heart, which is the abode of so much impurityand deceit. He knows its motives, its very intents and pur-

poses. Go to Him with your soul all stained as it is. Like thepsalmist, throw its chambers open to the all-seeing eye, ex-

claiming, Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me,and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked wayin me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-


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24.Many accept an intellectual religion, a form of godli-

ness, when the heart is not cleansed. Let it be your prayer,

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spiritwithin me. Psalm 51:10. Deal truly with your own soul. Beas earnest, as persistent, as you would be if your mortal lifewere at stake. This is a matter to be settled between God andyour own soul, settled for eternity. A supposed hope, andnothing more, will prove your ruin.

Study Gods Word prayerfully. That Word presents be-fore you, in the law of God and the life of Christ, the great

principles of holiness, without which no man shall see theLord.Hebrews 12:14. It convinces of sin; it plainly revealsthe way of salvation. Give heed to it as the voice of Godspeaking to your soul.

As you see the enormity of sin, as you see yourself asyou really are, do not give up to despair. It was sinners thatChrist came to save. We have not to reconcile God to us,

butO wondrous love!God in Christ is reconciling theworld unto Himself. 2 Corinthians 5:19. He is wooing byHis tender love the hearts of His erring children. No earthly

parent could be as patient with the faults and mistakes of hischildren as is God with those He seeks to save. No one could

plead more tenderly with the transgressor. No human lipsever poured out more tender entreaties to the wanderer thandoes He. All His promises, His warnings, are but the breath-

ing of unutterable love.When Satan comes to tell you that you are a great sin-

ner, look up to your Redeemer and talk of His merits. Thatwhich will help you is to look to His light. Acknowledgeyour sin, but tell the enemy that Christ Jesus came into theworld to save sinners and that you may be saved by Hismatchless love. 1 Timothy 1:15.Jesus asked Simon a ques-tion in regard to two debtors. One owed his lord a small sum

and the other owed him a very large sum; but he forgavethem both, and Christ asked Simon which debtor would lovehis lord most. Simon answered, He to whom he forgave


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most.Luke 7:43. We have been great sinners, but Christdied that we might be forgiven. The merits of His sacrificeare sufficient to present to the Father in our behalf. Those to

whom He has forgiven most will love Him most, and willstand nearest to His throne to praise Him for His great loveand infinite sacrifice. It is when we most fully comprehendthe love of God that we best realize the sinfulness of sin.When we see the length of the chain that was let down forus, when we understand something of the infinite sacrificethat Christ has made in our behalf, the heart is melted withtenderness and contrition.

How excellent is Thy lovingkindness,

O God!

Therefore the children of men

Put their trust

Under the shadow of Thy wings.

Psalm 36:7

Beloved, if God so loved us,

We ought also to love one another.

1 John 4:11

And she shall bring forth a son,

And thou shalt call His name Jesus:

For He shall save His people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21

Whosoever committeth sinTransgresseth also the law:

For sin is the transgression of the law.

1 John 3:4

In everything

By prayer and supplication

With thanksgiving,

Let your requestsBe made known unto God.

Philippians 4:6


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GivingH imY our

Sins

C HAP TER FOUR

Repentance is the next step in coming. What is genuine

repentance? Let me explain it:

With the pardon in his coat pocket, Howard went to the

state penitentiary. When the two were together, he asked,

John, what would you do if you received a pardon?

The first thing I would do, John answered, is to trackdown the judge who sentenced me, and murder him; and

the next thing I would do is find the chief witness and kill

him.


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He was startled; for he knew that, if the gates of heavenwere opened that night, he could not enterbecause of

the kind of life he was living.

The next night the topic was the Bible verse, What shall I

do then with Jesus who is called the Christ? (Matthew

27:22). Robert went home utterly wretched. Unable to

sleep, he finally arose and went out and gazed up at the

stars. It was a clear night, and he knew that somewhere

up there was the home he wanted. Oh, how he wanted tomake his peace with God! But his sins seemed to rise up

like a mountain before him.

The next day he had to plow. His misery deepened with

every furrow, until finally he drove out to the end of a

long row and dropped the plow down by the side of

Barney, the old white mule.

That evening there was another meeting, and again he

went. What they talked about that night, he doesntrecall; but he walked down the aisle and told everyone he

had accepted Christ as his Saviourand that henceforth

he was giving his life to Him.


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He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whosoconfesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Proverbs28:13.

The conditions of obtaining the mercy of God are simpleand just and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to dosome grievous thing in order that we may have the forgive-ness of sin. We need not make long and wearisome pilgrim-ages or perform painful penances to commend our souls tothe God of heaven or to expiate our transgression; but hethat confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy.

The apostle says, Confess your faults one to another,

and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. James5:16. Confess your sins to God, who only can forgive them,and your faults to one another. If you have given offense toyour friend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong;and it is his duty freely to forgive you. Then you are to seekthe forgiveness of God, because the brother you havewounded is the property of God; and, in injuring him, yousinned against his Creator and Redeemer. The case is brought

before the only true Mediator, our great High Priest, whowas in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin,and who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities (He-brews 4:15) and is able to cleanse from every stain of iniq-uity.

Those who have not humbled their souls before God inacknowledging their guilt have not yet fulfilled the first con-dition of acceptance. If we have not experienced that repen-

tance which is not to be repented of, and have not with truehumiliation of soul and brokenness of spirit confessed oursins, abhorring our iniquity, we have never truly sought forthe forgiveness of sin; and, if we have never sought, we havenever found the peace of God. The only reason why we donot have remission of sins that are past is that we are notwilling to humble our hearts and comply with the conditionsof the Word of truth. Explicit instruction is given concerning

this matter. Confession of sin, whether public or private,should be heartfelt and freely expressed. It is not to be urgedfrom the sinner. It is not to be made in a flippant and careless


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way or forced from those who have no realization of the ab-horrent character of sin. The confession that is the outpour-ing of the inmost soul finds its way to the God of infinite

pity. The psalmist says, The Lord is nigh unto them that areof a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.Psalm 34:18.

True confession is always of a specific character, andacknowledges particular sins. They may be of such a natureas to be brought before God only; they may be wrongs thatshould be confessed to individuals who have suffered injury

through them; or they may be of a public character, and shouldthen be as publicly confessed. But all confession should bedefinite and to the point, acknowledging the very sins ofwhich you are guilty.

In the days of Samuel the Israelites wandered from God.They were suffering the consequences of sin; for they hadlost their faith in God, lost their discernment of His powerand wisdom to rule the nation, lost their confidence in His

ability to defend and vindicate His cause. They turned fromthe great Ruler of the universe and desired to be governed aswere the nations around them. Before they found peace theymade this definite confession: We have added unto all oursins this evil, to ask us a king. 1 Samuel 12:19. The verysin of which they were convicted had to be confessed. Theiringratitude oppressed their souls and severed them from God.

Confession will not be acceptable to God without sin-

cere repentance and reformation. There must be decidedchanges in the life; everything offensive to God must be putaway. This will be the result of genuine sorrow for sin. Thework that we have to do on our part is plainly set before us:Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your do-ings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to dowell; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the father-less, plead for the widow.Isaiah 1:16-17. If the wicked

restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in thestatutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surelylive, he shall not die.Ezekiel 33:15. Paul says, speaking of


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the work of repentance: Ye sorrowed after a godly sort, whatcarefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of your-selves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what ve-

hement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all thingsye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 2Corinthians 7:11.

When sin has deadened the moral perceptions, the wrong-doer does not discern the defects of his character nor realizethe enormity of the evil he has committed; and, unless heyields to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, he remains

in partial blindness to his sin. His confessions are not sin-cere and in earnest. To every acknowledgment of his guilt headds an apology in excuse of his course, declaring that if ithad not been for certain circumstances he would not havedone this or that for which he is reproved.

After Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit,they were filled with a sense of shame and terror. At firsttheir only thought was how to excuse their sin and escape

the dreaded sentence of death. When the Lord inquired con-cerning their sin, Adam replied, laying the guilt partly uponGod and partly upon his companion: The woman whomThou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I dideat. The woman put the blame upon the serpent, saying,The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.Genesis 3:12-13.Why did You make the serpent? Why did You suffer him tocome into Eden? These were the questions implied in her

excuse for her sin, thus charging God with the responsibilityof their fall. The spirit of self-justification originated in thefather of lies and has been exhibited by all the sons and daugh-ters of Adam. Confessions of this order are not inspired bythe divine Spirit and will not be acceptable to God. Truerepentance will lead a man to bear his guilt himself and ac-knowledge it without deception or hypocrisy. Like the poor

publican, not lifting up so much as his eyes unto heaven, he

will cry, God be merciful to me a sinner and those who doacknowledge their guilt will be justified; for Jesus will plead


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His blood in behalf of the repentant soul.

The examples in Gods Word of genuine repentance and

humiliation reveal a spirit of confession in which there is noexcuse for sin or attempt at self-justification. Paul did notseek to shield himself; he paints his sin in its darkest hue,not attempting to lessen his guilt. He says, Many of thesaints did I shut up in prison, having received authority fromthe chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave myvoice against them. And I punished them oft in every syna-gogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceed-

ingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strangecities.Acts 26:10-11. He does not hesitate to declare thatChrist Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whomI am chief (1 Timothy 1:15).

The humble and broken heart, subdued by genuine re-pentance, will appreciate something of the love of God andthe cost of Calvary; and, as a son confesses to a loving fa-ther, so will the truly penitent bring all his sins before God.

And it is written, If we confess our sins, He is faithful andjust to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unright-eousness. 1 John 1:9.

And it shall come to pass,

When all these things are come upon thee,

The blessing and the curse,

Which I set before thee,

And thou shalt call them to mind . .

And shalt return unto the Lord thy God,And shalt obey His voice

According to all that I command thee, . .

That the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity,

And have compassion upon thee, . .

If thou shalt hearken

Unto the voice of the Lord thy God,

To keep His commandments . .

And if thou turn unto the Lord thy God With all thine heart, and with all thy soul.

Deuteronomy 30:1-3, 10


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GivingH imY our

L ife

C HAP TER FIVE

He asked if he could purchase it from the businessman,

for it was obvious that Mr. Kreisler could draw from it thatwhich the Englishman never could. But, collector that he

was, the man felt he dare not part from it, for the violin

looked so nice lying on his shelf. Then Mr. Kreisler asked

if he could play the rare violin but once. The Englishman

consented,and stood entranced as Fritz Kreisler, one of

the greatest violinists in the world, played it. Forgetting

himself, Kreisler poured his heart into the music.

Finally the musical harmonies ceased. Again the violinwas silent. The Englishman was speechless. He watched

as Kreisler tenderly returned the valuable instrument to

its antique box, with all the gentleness of a mother

putting her baby to bed.


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But dedicated to God, your life can take on a new

meaning,and a worth that you have never experiencedbefore. Placed in His hands, you gain immensely in value

and usefulness.

Your life ought to belong to the only One who can impart

to it nobility of character and bring from it the sweet

beauty of a deep Christian experience.

This is the consecrationthe dedicationof your life to

God that you want. Give your violinyour mind and body

and purposesto your Creator, henceforth to let Him useit for His glory.

Then, after thirty years of such intense difficulty, Henry

Stanley finally found him. Livingstone had been lost tothe world for over two years. Stanley asked him to come

back with him to England, but Livingstone refused.

Two days later, Livingstone wrote in his diary, March

19th, my birthday. My J esus, my King, my Life, my All; I

again dedicate my whole self to Thee. Accept me, and

grant, O gracious Father, that when the year is gone I

may finish my work. In Jesus name, I ask it, Amen. A

year later, his servants found him dead on his knees,where he had been praying.

The continued peace of heart that an individual can have

who is living and walking with God,can only be known

by the one who has experienced it.


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Gods promise is, Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, whenye shall search for Me with all your heart.Jeremiah 29:13.

The whole heart must be yielded to God or the change

can never be wrought in us by which we are to be restored toHis likeness. By nature we are alienated from God. The HolySpirit describes our condition in such words as these: Deadin trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), the whole head issick, and the whole heart faint . . no soundness in it (Isaiah1:5-6). We are held fast in the snare of Satan, taken captive

by him at his will (2 Timothy 2:26). God desires to heal us,to set us free. But since this requires an entire transforma-

tion, a renewing of our whole nature, we must yield our-selves wholly to Him.

The warfare against self is the greatest battle that wasever fought. The yielding of self, surrendering all to the willof God, requires a struggle; but the soul must submit to God

before it can be renewed in holiness.The government of God is not, as Satan would make it

appear, founded upon a blind submission, an unreasoning

control. It appeals to the intellect and the conscience. Comenow, and let us reason together (Isaiah 1:18) is the Creatorsinvitation to the beings He has made. God does not force thewill of His creatures. He cannot accept a homage that is notwillingly and intelligently given. A mere forced submissionwould prevent all real development of mind or character; itwould make man a mere automaton. Such is not the purposeof the Creator. He desires that man, the crowning work of

His creative power, shall reach the highest possible develop-ment. He sets before us the height of blessing to which Hedesires to bring us through His grace. He invites us to giveourselves to Him, that He may work His will in us. It re-mains for us to choose whether we will be set free from the

bondage of sin, to share the glorious liberty of the sons ofGod.

In giving ourselves to God, we must necessarily give up

all that would separate us from Him. Hence the Saviour says,Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath,he cannot be My disciple.Luke 14:33. Whatever shall draw


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away the heart from God must be given up. Mammon is theidol of many. The love of money, the desire for wealth, is thegolden chain that binds them to Satan. Reputation and

worldly honor are worshiped by another class. The life ofselfish ease and freedom from responsibility is the idol ofothers. But these slavish bands must be broken. We cannot

be half the Lords and half the worlds. We are not Godschildren unless we are such entirely.

There are those who profess to serve God while theyrely upon their own efforts to obey His law, to form a right

character, and secure salvation. Their hearts are not movedby any deep sense of the love of Christ, but they seek toperform the duties of the Christian life as that which Godrequires of them in order to gain heaven. Such religion isworth nothing. When Christ dwells in the heart, the soul will

be so filled with His love, with the joy of communion withHim, that it will cleave to Him; and, in the contemplation ofHim, self will be forgotten. Love to Christ will be the spring

of action. Those who feel the constraining love of God donot ask how little may be given to meet the requirements ofGod; they do not ask for the lowest standard, but aim at

perfect conformity to the will of their Redeemer. With ear-nest desire they yield all and manifest an interest propor-tionate to the value of the object which they seek. A profes-sion of Christ without this deep love is mere talk, dry for-mality, and heavy drudgery.

Do you feel that it is too great a sacrifice to yield all toChrist? Ask yourself the question, What has Christ givenfor me? The Son of God gave alllife and love and suffer-ingfor our redemption. And can it be that we, the unwor-thy objects of so great love, will withhold our hearts fromHim? Every moment of our lives we have been partakers ofthe blessings of His grace; and, for this very reason, we can-not fully realize the depths of ignorance and misery from

which we have been saved. Can we look upon Him whomour sins have pierced, and yet be willing to do despite to allHis love and sacrifice? In view of the infinite humiliation of


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the Lord of glory, shall we murmur because we can enterinto life only through conflict and self-abasement?

The inquiry of many a proud heart is, Why need I go in

penitence and humiliation before I can have the assurance ofmy acceptance with God? I point you to Christ. He wassinless and, more than this, He was the Prince of heaven;

but, in mans behalf, He became sin for the race. He wasnumbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many,and made intercession for the transgressors.Isaiah 53:12.

But what do we give up, when we give all? A sin-pol-

luted heart, for Jesus to purify, to cleanse by His own blood,and to save by His matchless love. And yet men think it hardto give up all! I am ashamed to hear it spoken of, ashamed towrite it.

God does not require us to give up anything that it is forour best interest to retain. In all that He does, He has thewell-being of His children in view. Would that all who havenot chosen Christ might realize that He has something vastly

better to offer them than they are seeking for themselves.Man is doing the greatest injury and injustice to his ownsoul when he thinks and acts contrary to the will of God. Noreal joy can be found in the path forbidden by Him who knowswhat is best and who plans for the good of His creatures.The path of transgression is the path of misery and destruc-tion.

It is a mistake to entertain the thought that God is pleased

to see His children suffer. All heaven is interested in the hap-piness of man. Our heavenly Father does not close the av-enues of joy to any of His creatures. The divine requirementscall upon us to shun those indulgences that would bring suf-fering and disappointment, that would close to us the doorof happiness and heaven. The worlds Redeemer accepts menas they are, with all their wants, imperfections, and weak-nesses; and He will not only cleanse from sin and grant re-

demption through His blood, but will satisfy the heart-long-ing of all who consent to wear His yoke, to bear His burden.It is His purpose to impart peace and rest to all who come to


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Him for the bread of life. He requires us to perform onlythose duties that will lead our steps to heights of bliss towhich the disobedient can never attain. The true, joyous life

of the soul is to have Christ formed within, the hope of glory.

Many are inquiring, How am I to make the surrenderof myself to God? You desire to give yourself to Him, butyou are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and con-trolled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises andresolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control yourthoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of

your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens yourconfidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel thatGod cannot accept you; but you need not despair. What youneed to understand is the true force of the will. This is thegoverning power in the nature of man, the power of decisionor of choice. Everything depends on the right action of thewill. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirsto exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of

yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose toserve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work inyou to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thusyour whole nature will be brought under the control of theSpirit of Christ. Your affections will be centered upon Him;your thoughts will be in harmony with Him.

Desires for goodness and holiness are right as far as theygo; but if you stop here, they will avail nothing. Many will

be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians. They donot come to the point of yielding the will to God. They donot now choose to be Christians.

Through the right exercise of the will, an entire changemay be made in your life. By yielding up your will to Christ,you ally yourself with the power that is above all principali-ties and powers. You will have strength from above to holdyou steadfast; and thus, through constant surrender to God,

you will be enabled to live the new life, even the life of faith.

The Lord heareth the poor. Psalm 69:33


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B yF aith,AN ew

C HAP TER S IX

Writing home to her father, she told him of her decision.

He was enraged and immediately wrote back: Get on the

next train and come home immediately.

Upon her arrival home, he told her, I did not send you to

school to get religion. That is all right for poor folk and

half-wits, but not for a child in your level of society. You

will have to get this religious notion out of your head.

She went to her room with a heavy heart. It meant the

loss of love, prestige and wealth,but most of all, of her

parents,but her decision was made. She cried to the

Lord that night and rededicated her life to Him; and very

early the next morning she was up and quickly packedher suitcase.

B irth


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J esus, I my cross have taken,

All to leave and follow Thee;

Destitute, despised, forsaken,Thou, from hence, my all must be:

Perish every fond ambition,

All Ive sought and hoped and known;

Yet how rich is my condition,

God and Heavn are still my own!

Wait! I did not know that Jesus Christ meant as much to

you as that. I did not know that you were willing to give

up father, mother, home and prestige just for J esus.

By faith we accept Christ and a new life begins. And it is

a sweet experience. By faith, we walk hand in hand with

Him here on earth, awaiting that day when, at His Second

Advent, He will return for His own. Then we shall see

Him face to face, and, oh, what happiness will be ours!

Acceptancethrough faithof His plan for your life canbring that wonderful future to you also. Let Him come in,

just now.


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As your conscience has been quickened by the HolySpirit, you have seen something of the evil of sin, of its power,its guilt, its woe; and you look upon it with abhorrence. You

feel that sin has separated you from God, that you are inbondage to the power of evil. The more you struggle to es-cape, the more you realize your helplessness. Your motivesare impure; your heart is unclean. You see that your life has

been filled with selfishness and sin. You long to be forgiven,to be cleansed, to be set free. Harmony with God, likeness toHimwhat can you do to obtain it?

It is peace that you needHeavens forgiveness and

peace and love in the soul. Money cannot buy it, intellectcannot procure it, wisdom cannot attain to it; you can neverhope, by your own efforts, to secure it. But God offers it toyou as a gift, without money and without price (Isaiah55:1). It is yours if you will but reach out your hand andgrasp it. The Lord says, Though your sins be as scarlet,they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crim-son, they shall be as wool.Isaiah 1:18. A new heart also

will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.Ezekiel36:26.

You have confessed your sins, and in heart put themaway. You have resolved to give yourself to God. Now go toHim, and ask that He will wash away your sins and give youa new heart. Then believe that He does this because He has

promised. This is the lesson which Jesus taught while Hewas on earth, that the gift which God promises us we must

believe we do receive, and it is ours. Jesus healed the peopleof their diseases when they had faith in His power; He helpedthem in the things which they could see, thus inspiring themwith confidence in Him concerning things which they couldnot seeleading them to believe in His power to forgivesins. This He plainly stated in the healing of the man sickwith palsy: That ye may know that the Son of man hath

power on earth to forgive sins. Then saith He to the sick of

the palsy, Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.Matthew 9:6.So also John the evangelist says, speaking ofthe miracles of Christ, These are written, that ye might be-


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lieve that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that be-lieving ye might have life through His name.John 20:31.

From the simple Bible account of how Jesus healed thesick, we may learn something about how to believe in Himfor the forgiveness of sins. Let us turn to the story of the

paralytic at Bethesda. The poor sufferer was helpless; he hadnot used his limbs for thirty-eight years. Yet Jesus bade him,Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. The sick man might havesaid, Lord, if Thou wilt make me whole, I will obey Thyword. But, no, he believed Christs word, believed that he

was made whole, and he made the effort at once; he willed towalk, and he did walk. He acted on the word of Christ, andGod gave the power. He was made whole.

In like manner you are a sinner. You cannot atone foryour past sins; you cannot change your heart and make your-self holy. But God promises to do all this for you throughChrist. You believe that promise. You confess your sins andgive yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as surely

as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you be-lieve the promise,believe that you are forgiven andcleansed,God supplies the fact; you are made whole, justas Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man

believed that he was healed. It is so if you believe it.Do not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say, I

believe it; it is so, not because I feel it, but because God haspromised.

Jesus says, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray,believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.Mark11:24. There is a condition to this promisethat we prayaccording to the will of God. But it is the will of God tocleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enableus to live a holy life. So we may ask for these blessings, and

believe that we receive them, and thank God that we havereceived them. It is our privilege to go to Jesus and be

cleansed, and to stand before the law without shame or re-morse. There is therefore now no condemnation to themwhich are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but


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after the Spirit.Romans 8:1.

Henceforth you are not your own; you are bought with a

price. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as sil-ver and gold; . . but with the precious blood of Christ, as ofa lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1:18-19.Through this simple act of believing God, the Holy Spirithas begotten a new life in your heart. You are as a child borninto the family of God, and He loves you as He loves HisSon.

Now that you have given yourself to Jesus, do not draw

back, do not take yourself away from Him, but day by daysay, I am Christs; I have given myself to Him; and askHim to give you His Spirit and keep you by His grace. As itis by giving yourself to God, and believing Him, that you

become His child, so you are to live in Him. The apostlesays, As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord,so walk ye in Him. Colossians 2:6.

Some seem to feel that they must be on probation, and

must prove to the Lord that they are reformed before theycan claim His blessing. But they may claim the blessing ofGod even now. They must have His grace, the Spirit of Christ,to help their infirmities, or they cannot resist evil. Jesus lovesto have us come to Him just as we are, sinful, helpless, de-

pendent. We may come with all our weakness, our folly, oursinfulness, and fall at His feet in penitence. It is His glory toencircle us in the arms of His love and to bind up our wounds,

to cleanse us from all impurity.

Here is where thousands fail; they do not believe thatJesus pardons them personally, individually. They do not takeGod at His word. It is the privilege of all who comply withthe conditions, to know for themselves that pardon is freelyextended for every sin. Put away the suspicion that Gods

promises are not meant for you. They are for every repentant

transgressor. Strength and grace have been provided throughChrist to be brought by ministering angels to every believ-ing soul. None are so sinful that they cannot find strength,


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purity, and righteousness in Jesus, who died for them. He iswaiting to strip them of their garments, stained and pollutedwith sin, and to put upon them the white robes of righteous-

ness; He bids them live and not die.God does not deal with us as finite men deal with one

another. His thoughts are thoughts of mercy, love, andtenderest compassion. He says, Let the wicked forsake hisway, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him re-turn unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and toour God, for He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7). Ihave blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as

a cloud, thy sins.Isaiah 44:22.I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith

the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.Ezekiel18:32. Satan is ready to steal away the blessed assurances ofGod. He desires to take every glimmer of hope and every rayof light from the soul; but you must not permit him to dothis. Do not give ear to the tempter, but say, Jesus has diedthat I might live. He loves me and wills not that I should

perish. I have a compassionate heavenly Father; and althoughI have abused His love, though the blessings He has givenme have been squandered, I will arise, and go to my Father,and say, I have sinned against heaven and before Thee, andam no more worthy to be called Thy son: make me as one ofThy hired servants. The parable tells you how the wan-derer will be received: When he was yet a great way off,his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on

his neck, and kissed him.Luke 15:18-20.

But even this parable, tender and touching as it is, comesshort of expressing the infinite compassion of the heavenlyFather. The Lord declares by His prophet, I have loved theewith an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness haveI drawn thee.Jeremiah 31:3. While the sinner is yet farfrom the Fathers house, wasting his substance in a strange

country, the Fathers heart is yearning over him; and everylonging awakened in the soul to return to God is but thetender pleading of His Spirit, wooing, entreating, drawing


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the wanderer to his Fathers heart of love.With the rich promises of the Bible before you, can you

give place to doubt? Can you believe that when the poor

sinner longs to return, longs to forsake his sins, the Lordsternly withholds him from coming to His feet in repentance?Away with such thoughts! Nothing can hurt your own soulmore than to entertain such a conception of our heavenlyFather. He hates sin, but He loves the sinner; and He gaveHimself in the person of Christ, that all who would might besaved and have eternal blessedness in the kingdom of glory.What stronger or more tender language could have been em-

ployed than He has chosen in which to express His love to-ward us? He declares, Can a woman forget her sucking child,that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.Isaiah 49:15.

Look up, you that are doubting and trembling; for Jesuslives to make intercession for us. Thank God for the gift ofHis dear Son and pray that He may not have died for you in

vain. The Spirit invites you today. Come with your wholeheart to Jesus, and you may claim His blessing.

As you read the promises, remember they are the ex-pression of unutterable love and pity. The great heart of Infi-nite Love is drawn toward the sinner with boundless com-

passion. We have redemption through His blood, the for-giveness of sins.Ephesians 1:7. Yes, only believe that Godis your helper. He wants to restore His moral image in man.

As you draw near to Him with confession and repentance,He will draw near to you with mercy and forgiveness.

When thou art in tribulation,

And all these things are come upon thee,

Even in the latter days,

If thou turn to the Lord thy God,

And shalt be obedient unto His voice:

For the Lord thy God is a merciful God,He will not forsake thee.

Deuteronomy 4:30-31


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BIBLE PROMISES YOU CAN USE

I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my

right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:8.

He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trustingin the Lord. Psalm 112:7.

I will both lay me down in peace and sleep; for Thou, Lord,only makest me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8.

He giveth His beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2.

The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him: and theLord shall cover him all the day long.

Deuteronomy 33:12.The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The

Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 .

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shallabide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1.

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. . Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

Psalm 121:2, 4.

But whoso hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell safely, and shallbe quiet from fear of evil. Proverbs 1:33.

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee;and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.

Isaiah 43:2.

The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord willbless His people with peace. Psalm 29:11.

Great peace have they which love Thy Law, and nothing shall

offend them. Psalm 119:165.The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and he

delighteth in His way. Psalm 37:23.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thineown understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and Heshall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6.

I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will leadthem in paths that they have not known. I will make darknesslight before them, and crooked things straight. These things will

I do unto them, and not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16.Them that honour Me I will honour. 1 Samuel 2:30.


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ObeyingH im

C HAP TER S EVEN

What made Paderewski different from you or me? Well,

one might say, It was his genius. Another could add, Itwas his dedication. A third could say, He had more

music in his heart than the rest of us have.

If I were to try to play upon a piano that Paderewski had

just finished performing on, the contrast would be most

painful. I could bang on it all I desired, but would be

unable to produce anything that even a child could

appreciate.

The God of heaven and earth has laws also. He has


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physical laws and moral laws that must ever govern His

creatures. Without obedience to His laws, mankind can

never truly be happy. Indeed, when men refuse to obey

the laws of God, they ultimately destroy themselves.And now, more clearly, we can understand Paderewski.

His towering craftsmanship was more than deep feeling

and agile fingers. And it was more than liberty.

And it is our work, through faith in Christ, to cooperate

shelter in the storm - by ellen white

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