'My mates are here to-day, sir,' whispered Duncan, as he went forward to take his place in the boat; 'it's the first time I've been able to persuade them to come. They see the good of it now, sir, you see.'
Never have I heard any man pray more earnestly for a blessing than Mr. Christie did that day, but I do not think even he prayed more earnestly than I did. My whole heart went out to God that day, for was it not my first Sunday on the right side of the line?
And then came the address, and I never noticed a congregation more attentive than was that one gathered on the shore that September morning. I can remember even now a good deal of the sermon.
'WE KNOW,' he said; 'those are strong words, confident words. It is not, We imagine, or We think. It is not even We hope, that would be wonderful; but it is something clearer and far more distinct than that; it is WE KNOW.
'If I were to ask you fishermen, you visitors, you mothers, you little children, this question, "Do you imagine you are on the shore now? Do you think you are here to-day? Do you hope you are listening to me?" what would you answer me?
'You would say, "Mr. Christie, it is not a case of imagining, or thinking, or hoping; we know we are here; we are sure of it."
'Now notice, that is the strong, confident word used in my text to-day. The holy apostle John stands side by side with all of us who have come to Christ, and he bids us join with him in these glad, happy, thankful words, "We know that we have passed from death unto life." We know, we are persuaded, we are sure, that we are on the right side of the line. We know that we have left the company of the servants of sin, and are now the servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.
'Dear friends, I would now ask each of you very earnestly, Can you say that? Can you take your stand by the apostle John, and say, "I know that I have passed from death unto life?"
'I think I hear some one answer in his heart, "Well, that's a great deal for any man to say, and I don't see that any man can know in this life if he is saved or not; when he gets to heaven he'll know he is all right, but not till then."
'Now look again at my text. It does not say, "We shall know"; it does not say, "We hope soon to know"; but it speaks in the present. It runs thus: "We know that we have passed from death unto life." So you see it is possible, nay, it is right, that you and I should, one by one, take up the words and say, "I know."