JO md #J3Z Conf Pam 12mo #793 DTTDS71Sfll lUlllll! ■ No. 57. THERE IS ROOM FOR YOU, Ann T was an intelligent and affectionate girl about seventeen years of age, and had enjoyed nil the advantage^ of pious parentage and education. She had 'attended the Sabbath-school from a very early period, and had become well acquainted with the leading Ainthfl ot the Bible, but had never felt their power in her heart. This fact was a cause of much anxiety to her Christian friends, who constantly pray- ed God to awaken her slumbering conscience, and to change her heart by the influence of his Holy Spirit. For a long time these prayers remained unanswered ; but at length Ann seemed seriously impressed with the impor- tance of spiritual things. Her friends noticed that she had much, trouble and uneasiness in her mind, and yet when they spoke to her about her soul, she only shook ; her head, or else she would burst into tears and say it was of no use to talk to her, for they could do her no good. Often did her friends point her to Jesus, as one who could relieve her of all her distress; but she could not be brought to look to him as her ISaviour. She used even to declare sometimes that it wa3 impossible for her ever to be saved. One Sabbath evening her minister preached from Luke 14 ; 22 : "And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast com- manded, and yet there is room." He explained in a very impressive manner that there was room for every sinner in God's infinite mercy, in the Saviour's loving heart, in the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit, in the church of the redeemed on earth, and in the glorious kingdom of God in heaven. He appealed to all his unconverted hearers to be- lieve these good tidings, and to come at once to their merciful Father by the only way which was opened to tliem, through the merits of the crucified Redeemer. And he showed clear- ly from the Bible, that no one need deem himseli top poor or too sinful, or too insignificant to become a sharer in the bene- fits of Christ's sacrifice. Many were melted to tears by this discourse ; but Ann was not among the number. She seemed to have wrapped herself up in her own persuasion, that sal- vation was not for her; and when the service was over, she left the church in her usual silent and unhappy mood. ♦But Miss P , a Sabbath-sehool teacher, met her at the door, and observing that she was alone, took advantage of the op- portunity to speak to her on the state of her mind, and to walk home with her. Miss P. I am glad to meet you, Ann ; as I listened to the sermon, I could not help thinking that it was specially ad- dressed to you. Ann. Tome? I wish I could think so ; but there is no room for me, I fear. Miss P. Why so? Have you any reason for thinking this bitter thought concerning yourself? If you have, tell me what it is. Ann. I cannot. I had rather not talk about it at all; I don't think I ever can be saved. Miss P. My dear girl, others besides you have been ready to say, "I am sure 1 can never be saved." I dare say you have found out that your heart is much worse than you had ever suspected, and you do not see how you can possibly make it better. Am I right in supposing this to be one cause of your trouble? Ann. Yes, partly. Miss P. There may be other causes too. The remembrance of broken resolutions, perhaps, adds to your distress, and makes you doubt whether any new ones you might make would be kept any better. Is it not so* Ann. Oh, Miss P , pray don't talk about good resolu- tions; I wish I had never made one, for it is impossible, for me to keep them. Miss P. Perhaps you feel that because of these broken re- solutions, God is more angry with you than e7er? Ann. I feel as though I dare^ot lift up my face to God, after resolving so often to please him and always failing. But pray do not talk any more about this, I cannot bear it. It makes it plainer than ever that I cannot hope to be saved. Miss P. You have prayed to God perhaps, and tried .as you think, all the means prescribed in the Bible for the re- lief of conscience-stricken sinners. You have tried to repent, tried to believe, tried to reform, and yet your soul is as dark and as troubled as ever. You cannot discover that one answer has ever been given to your prayers. Your heart seems as hard and sinful as when you began to pray. There is no change for the better in any thing. You are almost persuaded that praying for pardon and peace is useless. Is it not so ? Ann. Yes, but even that is not the worst. Miss P. Do you fear that Christ will not receive you? Ann. My own heart tells me so. Miss P. Your own heart is "deceitful above all things." Jer. 17: 9. It is often in league with Satan, who sometimes tries to ruin us by undue confidence, and sometimes by un- warranted despair. Therefore we can never rely upon the assertions of our own hearts, unless they are also supported by the Bible. Your duty is to listen to the solemn invita- tions of the gospel : "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Pev. 22: 17. "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.'' John 6:37. "Give diligence to make your calling and election sure." 2 Peter 1 : 10. Now let me put to you a simple but a very solemn question. Aro you called to repentance and faith? Do you feel withia you the workings of a sincere sorrow for sin, an earnest desire after salvation, some love to Him who ditd for \\\e sins of'th* world, and an intense longing to become a sharer in the benefits of his sacrifice ? If you do experience these feelings, Ihey are an evidence of the reality of God's work within you. Who do you think first awoke them within you? Must it not have been God's Holy Spirit? And is it likely that he would arouse and convince yon if it were, as you suppose it is, impossible for you ever to be saved? Ann. It would be wrong to Charge God with so dealing with any one. Miss P. An inquirer once came to Jesus with a difficulty very much like yours. "Lord," said he, "are there few that be sayed ?" And how did the Saviour meet his question? He told him nothing about the number of those who should be saved, whether they were many or few; but said, "Strife to enter in at the strait gate." Luke 13 : 23, 24. Do not stand outside, asking questions and raising doubts, but enter the gate of mercy. Ann. You said just now that there ore a great many pass- ages in the Bible in which all sinners are invited to come to Christ. Will you tell me some more of these? Miss P. Yes, indeed I will. There is Isa. 55: 1, which runs thus: "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters." There is John 3 : 15, wherje it is said that "who- soever believeth in Christ shall not perish, but '.have eternal life." There is Matt. 11: 28, where Jesus says, "Comeunto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." There is 1 John 2: 2, where we are expressly assured that Jesus Christ is "the propitiation for our sins ; and not for ours only, but also for the .sins of the whole world." There is Heb. 7: 25, where Paul tells us that Jesus "is able' to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him." There is 1 Tim. 1: 15, where we learn that "Christ Jesus came into the world to 6ave sinners," sinners without any exception — nay, even the very "chief" of sinners. And if, when you get home, you will, look at the references marked opposite to these passages, you will find many more to the ae effect. Ann. I wish I could believe all youJiave been saying. But my heart is so hard and sinful. Mies P. Then pray to God as David did: "Create !n me a clean heart, God, and renew a right spirit within me/' And do not say, "I wish I could believe;" but say, "Lord, I believe ; help thou my unbelief." Make up your mind that what God says, he means' and that there is* no hinderance in the way of your coming to him except in yourself. Just believe that for Jesus Christ's sake he is willing to forgive ' all your sins, and to treat you as his own dear child. Ann. But how can I believe that God will look upon me as a dear child, when I am so vile and sinful ? Miss P. Will he not do it for Christ's sake? It is true that you are sinful, but then think of the infinite merits of our divine Redeemer, and how well pleased the Father is with him. It is not your righteousness that satisfies divine jus- tice, but the righteousness of Christ. It is in Christ that God is reconciled unto us, not imputing our transgressions to us. 2 Cor. |6 : 19. I am afraid, my dear, that in truth pride and self righteousness are keeping you away from Christ. Ann. Pride and self-righteousness! Oh no]! no! Miss P. Are you so sure of that? Examine yourself, and I think you will find a reluctance to come to the Saviour just as you are : that is, as a very helpless, wicked creature. You would like to put on a better dress, before you venture to his footstool to ask for pardon. But by entertaining such a . thought, you put a slight on the dress which Christ has pro- vided for you. You make it appear as if the filthy rags of your own righteousness were better in your esteem, than the spotless robe of Christ's righteousness*. And if this is not pride and self-righteousness, I do not know what to call it. Ann seemed struck by this new thought. Miss P. The f ct is, you think too much about your sins, and about yourself, and too little about Jesus Christ. You stand still, cherishing your own conviction of unworthiness, and thinking yourself very humble and contrite; almost, in- deed, making a merit of your contrition and humility, while irv repJity you are so proud, that you will not look to the 6 meek and lowly Jesus, who is offering to take all your sins upon himself, and to clotho you with nis own justifying right- eousness. Don't think me unkind because I speak plainly to you, and tell you that in refusing to roll your burden upon Jesus and to trust him with your soul, when it is manifest that there is no other w ay of salvation open to you, you are really indulging pride and self-righteousness, more than it you were to declare outright that you hope to merit heaven by your own good works. You act as though you thought that Jesus oners to do more than he can perform, and that sooner than trust him alone for salvation, you would prefer to stand still and be lost. A nx. Is it possible that I have treated Jesus, the loving Jcus, like this? And will he ever forgive me? Miss P. Yes, he will. Peter denied him, yet Peter was forgiven. The dying thief reviled him, yet he was not re- jected when he afterwards sued for mercy. Saul of Tarsus Eersecuted him, and yet afterwards he was favored with the ighest tokens of Ins Saviour's love. Ann. But none of these were half so bad as I am. Miss P. Do you know who it was that said, "Whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be for- given him V* You have no reason to despair. Ann. 1 wish I could have made up my mind sooner, to talk to you about these things. I don't believe anybody has felt so miserable as I have iho last few weeks. Miss P. I once felt the same doubts and difficulties which have tried you so sorely. And let me tell you of another error I fell into, which, unless I mistake, has been leading you also arstray. I knew that Jesus Christ had died to save sinners, and I fancied that by giving my assent to this fact, and feeling sorry for my Bins, I had done all that was neces- sary to secure salvation. But as, with all this, I had never really trusted Jesus with my soul, never cast my sins by a simple living faith upon him, it is scarcely to be wondered at that I could not find any assurance that my sins were forgiven. Indeed, ray distress seemed to increase every day; and often I used to cry out with bitter tears, "0 <3od, I do believe in Christ ; I do repent of my sins. Why then am I not happier ? What must I still do to obtain peace and pardon ?" At length a faithful minister one day ; aid to me, "You think you are believing, on Christ; but you are trying to make faith and re- pentance your saviour. You are not trusting to Jesus alone for pardon." Then a new light seemed to flash in upon me, and I was enabled to see the mistake I had made. I saw that in fact I was refusing to come to the Redeemer as sinful, pol- luted and vile, and was expecting to be saved for the sake ol my own repenting and believing; whereas God was willing to pardon me only for the sake of his Son's sacrifice. And it was not until I had renounced this error that I obtained peace Does my case at all resemble yours? Ann. I should never have thought that you had gone through all these troubles. And I never imagined before that there could be such a mistake as making faith and re- pentance a saviour, instead of Jesus Christ, But I begin to see what has been at the bottom of my distress; I have really been indulging in self-righteousness, when I fancied that 1 was altogether fee from it. I do think there is hope for me. Miss P. I am truly glad to hear you say so. But do not forget that the only sate hope is that which is founded upon Jesus, and his perfect righteousness ; which rests simply upon the atonement offered by the Saviour, without any merit or ground of acceptance being claimed from your own faith, or your own repentance, or any thing else that is yours. Ann. I will try to trust in Jesus. I do feel that nothing of my own can purchase for me pardon from God; but that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin. Miss P. If you come to the cross humbly and penitently, there can be no doubt as to God's forgiveness, and you may say as Paul did, "There is therefore now no condemnation to th Hollinger Corp. pH8.5