Jesus saves me, saves me now.”
XXXI.
Seeing Eye to Eye.
The more I experience of light and love shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost, the more I am led to believe that all that get fully saved see things in the same light; i. e., eye to eye. I mean those things which are essential to faith and practice. If the Holy Ghost is our teacher and the things taught us are a knowledge of ourselves, our destination—how to secure eternal life—then all would receive the same instruction.
“Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all truth.”—St. John 16:12. “He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and show it unto you.”—St. John 16:14. “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”—St. John 14:26.
This teaching will be in harmony with God’s Word, and that the Holy Ghost will make plain to our understanding. Without this, the Word of God, so far as practice and experience are concerned, is a sealed book! But with the Holy Ghost shining upon the sacred page, all is luminous. Glory to God!
Worldly conformity, in all its moods and tenses, is as clear as sunbeams. This gives you an altitude of experience that all the real saints attain. Placing you where Moses stood, on Pisgah’s top, you view the surroundings at a glance. This experience puts away strife and an unholy ambition for position. It brings an end to controversy between preacher and members. He can preach the whole truth touching any point of faith and practice with an accompaniment of hearty amens, and the high praises of God, instead of murmuring and complaining. How many come into the church with the light shining upon them; they promise to walk in the light; they have let go of the world and renounced the hidden things of dishonesty; put on plain attire; given up their covetousness; have been a great blessing to the church and cause of Christ.But in an evil hour they have let go of Christ, and brought darkness upon their souls, and are now ready to condemn what they once endorsed. The reason why so many oppose the real work of God, is, because the Holy Ghost is not their teacher; if he was, they would see eye to eye with God’s real workmen. Then there would be “a long pull—a strong pull—and a pull altogether,” and the work of the Lord would move gloriously in all our borders. Rain would fall in all parts of the land. The wilderness would blossom as the rose; the voice of the turtle would be heard; showers of grace, the conversion of sinners, and the sanctification of believers would be an every day realization. Oh! for a mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost on our beloved Zion, amen. How important that we see eye to eye! “How can two walk together, except they are agreed? What fellowship hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or he that believeth with an infidel.” In view of these facts we need to be exceedingly cautious who we receive into our communion, whether it be church, or what is commonly termed social relations. “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one, no not to eat.”—1 Cor. 5:11. How, then, can the saint of God unite in holy wedlock with an unsaved person? How can a young lady, professedly a saint, keep company and allow herself to be waited upon by an ungodly man? How can a saint enter into copartnership in business relations, and allow the partner to keep rum and tobacco anywhere on the premises? If our eye be single, our whole bodies shall be full of light.
XXXII.
The Edge Off.
There are many in these days that once enjoyed the keen edge of perfect love. It was round about them like a wall of fire. It was seen in their faces. It beamed out in sacred song, in fervent prayer; in their testimony it cut its way through like a two-edged sword, causing sinners to cry for mercy, and the saints to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. It was manifest in the tone of voice; in the very look; it was not wanting in exhortation, and in preaching, the word was in power and in “demonstration of the Spirit.”
It gave a freshness to all their labor, and they were emphatically “the lights of the world”—“living epistles, known and read of all men.” Their experience was positive; nothing doubtful or misty, but the genuine ring of the pure metal. They passed current for one hundred cents on the dollar. They did not repudiate a single claim the Almighty had upon them, but endorsed the whole of God’s Word from Genesis to Revelation; hence they lived under the direct rays of the Son of righteousness, causing even the desert to blossom as the rose. But now, alas! alas! how changed. The gloom of night is upon them. They go with their heads down like a bullrush. They make the same motions as formerly, but the power is gone, the edge is off.
O, my dear brother, sister, let me exhort you to edge up. Just put your head on the grindstone of humble confession; make all wrongs right, so far as you have the power and ability to do so. You will be perfectly astonished at the result, if you will just take the back track to the cross, and then renewedly consecrate your all to God for time and eternity. Rest not a moment until you are fully restored; until love, yea, perfect love, sits enthroned in your heart, and you can sing,—