THE
Four-Fold Gospel
REV. A. B. SIMPSON
THIRD EDITION, REVISED
V
^ \
PUBLISHED BY
THE CHRISTIAN AI^IANCE PUBLISHING CO.
692 KiGHTii Avenue, New York
C()rvKic.HTi:i>, 1S90. 1?
•^IMI'SON.
THE
Four-Fold Gospel.
CONTENTS.
I.
Christ Ovk Saviour, - - 7
II.
Christ Our SA^XTIFIER, - 42
111.
Christ Our Healer, - - 75
Christ Our Coming Lord, - 110
I.
CHEIST OUR SAVIOUR.
And they cried with a loud voice, saying,
salvation to our God which sitteth upon the
throne, and unto the Lamb. Rev. vii : lo.
'HIS is the cry of the ransomed
around the throne when
the universe is dissolving
wreck, and terror is filHng
the hearts of men. It is the first
cry of the ransomed after they reach
their home and have seen aU that it
means to be lost and to be saved,
while the earth is reeling, and the
elements are melting, and all things
8 THE Forii-FOLI) (JOSPKL.
are quaking and tirmhliiig in the
first approaches of tlic^ ^reat catas-
trojtlit'. 'I'licy SCI' Itchijid tlirni all
the way through wliich ilic l.nid lias
led them ; down that lon^* vista they
hehold th<^ toils they have rome
through and the perils they have
escaped, and they recognize how ten-
d(^rly the giace of God has hnl them
on and kept them safe. They see
the robes and crowns that are pre-
pared for them, and all the joy of
the eternal future which is opening
before them. They see all this, and
then they behold Him whose hand
has kept it all safely for them, and
whose heart has chosen it for them.
They look back upon all the past ;
they look forward into all the future;
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. ^
they look up into the face of Him to
whom it was all due, and then they
lift up their voices in one glad exult-
ant cry, ^^ Salvation to our God
which sitteth upon the throne, and
unto the Lamb.'' This is what sal-
vation means ; this is what they have
believed for ; this is what He died to
give them. They have it all. They
are saved, and the full realization of
it has come home to their heart at
last.
Let us look a little at what it
means to be saved. It is not at all a
little thing. We sometimes hear
that certain Christians are only jus-
tified. It is a mighty thing to be
justified. It is a glorious thing to
be born again. Christ said it was
10 THE FOUR-FOIJ) GOSPEL.
greater to have one's name written
in heaven than to he ahle to cast out
devils. What does salvation mean ?
I. WHAT IT SAVES US FROM.
1. It takes away the guilt of sin.
It frees us from all liahility and pun-
ishment for past offences. Sin de-
serves punishment. Salvation takes
this all away. Is it not glorious to
be saved ?
2. Salvation saves us from the wrath
of God. God hates evil and must
punish it somehow. The wrath of
God is revealed from heaven against
all unrighteousness of men. But from
this salvation delivers us.
3. Salvation delivers us from the
curse of the law. We can recall the
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. 11
terrors of its revealing, the light-
nings and thunder that surrounded
the mountain, and the terror of Is-
rael before it was given at all. They
could not bear that God should speak
to them thus, and they entreated
Moses, ' ' Speak thou Avith us and we
will hear ; but let not God speak
with us, lest we die." But if the
giving of the law was terrible, more
terrible was the breaking. It is
perilous to break the law of the
land. The most tender appeal of
affection did not avail to save those
condemned anarchists in Chicago re-
cently. The hand of the law was on
their throats, and to the gallows
they must go. I remember the days
when the assassin of President Lin-
12 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
coin was stalking through the land.
The law would have searched the
world to find him out. How terrible
it must have been for him to feel
that the eye of justice was looking
for him, and sooner or later would
surely find him ! The circle nar-
rowed and narrowed around him,
till at last he was grasped in the cor-
don. So the cordon of law tightens
around the sinner who is under its
power. Salvation delivers us from
this curse through Him who was
made a curse for us.
4. It delivers us also from our evil
conscience. There is always a shadow
left on our hearts by sin, and a feel-
ing of remorse. It is the black wing
of the raven, and its hoarse voice is
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. 13
ever whispering of despair. The
memory of past guilt will follow
people so that after many years they
tell of crimes committed, the punish-
ment for which they escaped, but
the burden never left their con-
science. Sometimes it seemed to
slumber for a while, and at last it
sprang upon them like a lion. Sal-
vation delivers from our evil con-
science. It takes the shadow from
the heart and the stinging memory
of sin from the soul.
5. It delivers from an evil heart,
which is the source of all the sin in
the life. It is natural for men to
sin even while they hate it. The
tendency to evil is in every nature^
chained to it like a body of death,
14 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
SO that when we would do good evil
is present with us. It takes posses-
sion of the will and heart, like a liv-
ing death. It is offensive, it smells
of the sepulchre, it is full of the poi-
son of asps, it putrefies the whole
moral being and bears it, too, down
to death. Salvation frees us from
its power and gives us a new nature.
6. It frees us from the fear of
death. It takes away the sting of
that last enemy, through fear of
whom we would otherwise all our
lifetime be subject to bondage. I
remember when I was a child what
a shock a funeral bell would give
me. I could not bear to hear of
some one's being dead. The love of
Christ has taken this all away. The
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. 15
death-bed of God's children is to
them the portal of heaven.
Y. Salvation delivers us from
Satan's power and kingdom. God
hath ^^ delivered us from the power
of darkness and translated us into
the kingdom of His dear Son. " We
are saved from the ills and the ser-
pent and the bonds of sin, and the
devil is for us a conquered foe. Sal-
vation delivers us from much sorrow
and distress in life. It brings a
glorious sunlight into the life and
drives away those clouds of depres-
sion and gloom which overwhelm
us.
8. Beyond all else, salvation de-
livers us from eternal death. We
are not going down into outer dark-
16 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
ness and the depths of woe. Christ
has unlocked the fetters of the pit
and saved us from endless death.
We are delivered from that terrible
agony which the kindest lips that
ever spoke has called ^^the worm
that dieth not and the fire that is not
quenched."
These are some of the things that
salvation has delivered us from. Is
it not indeed glad tidings ?
II. WHAT SALVATION BRINGS TO US.
1. It brings the forgiveness of all
our sins and entirely removes them.
They are blotted out as completely
as though we had paid all that was
due for them, and they can never
appear against us again.
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. IT
2. It brings us justification in the
sight of God, so that we stand be-
fore Him as righteous beings. We
are accepted as though we had done
everything He had commanded, and
had perfectly kept the law in every
particular. With one stroke of the
pen He erases the account that was
against us ; with another stroke He
puts there all the righteousness of
Christ. We must take both sides of
this. The spotlessness of Jesus is
put to your account as if it were
your own. All His obedience to the
Father is yours. All His patience
and gentleness are yours. Every ser-
vice that He has rendered to bless
others is put to your account as if
you had done it all. Every good
18 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
thing you can discover in Him is
yours, and every evil thing in you is
His. That is salvation. Is it not
wonderful ?
3. It brings us into the favor and
love of God, and secures us full ac-
ceptance in the person of Jesus. He
loves us as He loves His only be-
gotten Son. The moment we are
presented in the arms of Christ, we
are accepted in Him. Dr. Currie, a
brilliant writer connected with the
Methodist Episcopal Church, has left
a beautiful incident in his own life.
He was the editor of one of the best
journals of his church, and in many
ways he was closely connected with
its work. He dreamed one night, a
little before his recent death, that he
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. 19
died and went up to the gate of
heaven. There he met an angel and
asked to be allowed to enter. The
angel asked him who he was. He
answered: '^I am Dr. Currie, the
editor of the Quarterly Revieiv of
the Methodist Episcopal Church."
The angel answered : ^'I don't know
you, I never heard of you before. ''
Soon he met another angel and told
him the same story, and received
the same answer: '^I don't know
you." At last one of the angels
said : '^Let us go to the Judge and
see if He will know you." He went
before the throne and told the Judge
about his life and the work he had
done for the church, but received
the answer from the Judge: '^I
20 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
don't know you at all." His heart
was beginning to gather the black-
ness of despair, when suddenly there
was One at his side with a crown of
thorns upon his head, who said :
"Father, I know him. I will an-
swer for him." And instantly all
the harps of heaven began to sing :
" Worthy is the Lamb that was
slain," and he was ushered into all
the glory of the celestial world. Not
all the preaching we have done, or
all the service we have rendered will
amount to anything there. We
must be identified with the man
who wore the thorns ; we must be
accepted in the Beloved, and then
the Father will love us even as He
loves His Son. We shall stand with
Him even as Christ does.
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. 21
4. Salvation gives us a new heart.
It brings to us regeneration of the
soul. Every spark of life from the
old polluted nature is worthless, and
the divine nature is born in us as a
13art of our very being.
5. Salvation gives us grace to live
day by day. A man may be par-
doned and so get out of prison, and
yet have no money to supply his
needs. He is pardoned, yet he is
starving. Salvation takes us out of
prison, and provides for all our needs
besides. It enables us to rejoice in
the glory of God, which is " able to
keep us from falling, and to present
us faultless- before the presence is
His glory with exceeding joy."
6. It brings to us the help of the
22 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
Holy Spirit, who is ever at our side
as a gentle mother, helping our in-
firmities and bringing grace for every
time of need.
7. It brings to us the care of
God's providence, causing all things
to v^^ork together for our good.
This is never true until we are
saved ; but when we are the chil-
dren of God all things in earth and
in heaven are on our side.
8. Salvation opens the way for all
the blessings that follow it. It is
the stepping stone to sanctification
and healing, and the peace ihat pass-
eth understanding. From this first
gateway the prospect opens out
1 P/Undlessly to all the good land we
may go on to possess.
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. 23
9. Salvation brings us to eternal
life. It is, of course, only the begin-
ning, but the heavenly land has its
portals open even here, and when we
at last reach the throne and look out
and see all the possibilities that yet
lie before us, we shall sing with the
ransomed, ^'Salvation to our God
which sitteth upon the throne, and
unto the Lamb."
m. THE PROCESS BY WHICH THESE
BLESSINGS COME.
1. They come through the mercy
and grace of God. God so loved the
world that ^^He gave His only be-
gotten Son, that whosoever believ-
eth in Him should not perish, but
have everlasting life."
34: THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
2. Salvation comes to us by the
righteousness of Jesus Christ. He
perfectly fulfilled for us every re-
quirement of the law. Had he fal-
tered in one temptation we could not
have been saved. Think of that,
when you are tempted to speak a
hasty word, and you almost give
way for a moment. Suppose Jesus
had done so, we should have been
lost forever. Every moment He held
steadfastly in the path of obedience,
and His perfect grace and obedience
is the price of your salvation.
3. Salvation comes to us through
the death of Christ. His obedience
is not enough. He must die. His
crucifixion is the atonement for our
sins.
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. 25
4. Salvation comes through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead, which was God's seal of
His accomplished work and the
pledge of our pardon.
5. Salvation comes through the
intercession of Jesus at the right
hand of the Father. He is our
Great High Priest there, where He
ever liveth to make intercession for
us, and thus keeps us in continual
acceptance.
6. Salvation comes through the
grace of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit
of God is sent down, through the in-
tercession of Christ, to carry out in
our hearts and lives His work. He
keeps our feet in the way, and He
will never leave His work until He
26 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
has put us forever into the bosom of
Jesus.
T. Salvation comes to us by the
Gospel. It is presented to us through
this message, and our refusal to ac-
cept it, or our neglect to do so, fixes
irrevocably, by our own act, our
eternal condition. If we are saved,
we become so by accepting the Gos-
pel, which is, therefore, called '^the
Gospel of your salvation."
IV. THE STEPS BY WHICH IT IS RE-
CEIVED.
1. Conviction of sin. We must
first see our need and our danger
before we can be saved. The Holy
Ghost brings this to our heart and
conscience. Until there is this
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. 27
knowledge of the need of Christ, He
cannot of course be received, but
when the heart is deeply impressed
under a sense of sin, Christ is precious
indeed.
2. There must be next an appre-
hension of Jesus as our Saviour.
The soul must see Him as both able
and willing to save. It will not do
merely to feel and confess your
guilt. What is needed is to get the
eye on Jesus. So Christ says to
every seeking soul, ' ^ Look ! Look !
Look unto me and be saved !"
^' Every one whick seeth the Son,
and believe th on Him, may have
everlasting life."
3. Salvation comes by repentance.
There must be a turning from sin.
28 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
This does not consist in mere emo-
tional feeling, necessarily, but it does
mean to have the whole will and
purpose of heart turned from sin to
God.
4. Salvation comes by coming to
Jesus. The soul must not only turn
away from sin. That alone will not
save it. Lot's wife turned away
from Sodom — but she was not in
Zoar. There must be a turning to
Jesus as well as a turning from sin.
5. Salvation comes by accepting
Jesus as a Saviour. This does not
mean merely crying out to Him to
save, but claiming Him as the Sav-
iour, embracing the promises He has
given, and so believing that He is
your personal Kedeemer.
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. 29
6. Salvation comes by believing
that Christ has accepted us, and
counting Him faithful who has prom-
ised. This will bring the sweetness
of assurance and peace, and as we
believe the promise the Spirit will
seal it to the heart and witness that
we are the children of God.
7. Salvation comes by confessing
Christ as the Saviour. Thi-s is a
necessary step. It is like the ratifi-
cation of a deed or the celebration of
a marriage, and stamps and seals
our act of committal.
8. Salvation involves our abiding
in Jesus. Having taken it for
granted, once for all, that you are
saved, never do the work over again.
' '*As ye have, therefore, received
80 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye
in Him."
V. THINGS THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT
SALVATION.
1. It is called God's salvation. It
was not invented by man. God
alone is the author of it, and He is
the only Saviour.
2. It is also called '^your own sal-
vation," because you yourself must
appropriate it.
3. It is called ^Hhe common salva-
tion," because it is free to all who
will accept it.
4. It is called a ^^ great salvation,"
because it is full and infinite in its
provisions. It is large enough for aU
your needs.
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. 31
5. Christ is called the " mighty to
save," because no matter how weak
or how wicked the sinner may be,
He is able to save him to the utter-
most.
6. It is called a near salvation.
^^ Say not in thine heart, who shall
ascend into heaven ? (that is, to
bring Christ down from above ;) Or,
who shall descend into the deep?
(that is, to bring Christ again from
the dead.) But what saith it ? The
Word is nigh thee, eveii in thy
mouth and in thy heart : that is, the
Word of Faith which we preach :
That if thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt be-
lieve in thine heart that God hath
raised Him from the dead, thou
32 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
shalt be saved. " We do not have to
get up into some exalted state to
find Christ, nor down into some pro-
found and terrible experience, but
we can find Him everywhere we are.
Salvation is at our door. We can
take it as w^e find Him very near to
us. No steps were allowed to God's
ancient altar, for then some poor
sinner might not be able to get up to
it. Jesus is on the very plane where
you are this moment. You can take
His salvation here now. Take Him
as you are, and He will lead you
into all the experiences you need.
VI. WHY IT IS CALLED THE GOSPEL
OF GOOD NEWS.
' 1. Because of its value. It comes
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. 33
laden with blessings to him who re-
ceives it.
2. Because of its freedom. It may
be taken without money and with-
out price.
3. Because of its availableness. It
is easy of access, being on the level
of the worst sinner.
4. Because of its universality.
Whosoever will may take it and
live.
5. Because of the security of its
blessings. They are given forever-
more. ''Verily, verily, I say unto
you, He that heareth my Word, and
believeth on Him that sent me, hath
everlasting life, and shall not per-
ish."
6. Because of the eternity of its
34 THE FOLK-FOLD GOSPEL.
blessings. The sun will have burnt
itself into aslies, the earth will liave
been destroyed by volcanic heat, the
heavens will be changed wlien salva-
tion has only b(^gun. Ten thousand
times ten thousand years shall pass
away, and we shall have only begun
a little to understand what salvation
means. Blessed be God for the Gos-
pel of Christ's salvatioiL
VII. CONSIDERATIONS WHICH SHOULD
URGE US TO TAKE AND GIVE OUT
THIS SALVATION.
1. Because of the fact that every
man's salvation is hinged ui)on his
own choice and free will. It is an
awful thing to have the power to
take salvation and to throw it away.
And yet it is left to our choice. We
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. 35
are not forced to take it. We must
voluntarily choose it or reject it.
2. Because of the tremendous re-
sponsibility to which we are held ac-
countable for the salvation of our
soul. God has put it into our hands
as a jewel of inestimable value, and
He will hold us to a strict account
for the way we treat this precious
thing. If we destroy it, how fearful
will be our doom when we meet the
Judge of all the earth, and hear the
stern question from His lips, ^ ^ Where
is thy soul V '
3. Because of the guilt which will
rest upon us for neglecting and des-
pising the precious blood of Christ,
which was shed for our salvation.
To neglect it is to throw it away. He
36 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
has provided a great salvation. If it
is worth so niiuli to man, if it lias
cost God so much to provide it, what
can he thought of him wlio makes
httle of it ? Jesus suffered intensely
to bring it to us, and shall we stum-
ble carelessly over it ? Oh, let us he
more concerned than we are, both
for tlie salvation of our own souls
and for those around us wlio are not
saved.
4. Because the little word "now "
is always linked witli it. It must be
taken now or never. The cycle of
life is very narrow. We do not know
how soon it will end. " Behold now
is the day of salvation."
5. Because its issues are for eter-
nity. The decisions there are not
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. 37
reversible. The soul cannot come
back when once it has left the body,
and have another chance to secure its
salvation. When once the Master
has risen up and shut the door, the
soul will find it has been left out for
ever. The cry will then be, ^ ^ I have
lost my chance ; it is too late." God's
Word holds out no second chance to
any human soul.
G. Because if salvation is missed
there will be no excuse for it. Not
one thing has been left undone in
presenting it to men. God's best
thought and Christ's best love have
been given to it. All has been done that
could be done. Salvation has been
brought down to man's level. It has
been placed where he can reach it.
38 THE FOUR-FOT>D COSPEL.
God lias i)rovi(lud all the resources,
even tlie grace, repentance and faith,
if man Avill take tliem. If you lack
anything, God will ])ut His arms
around you and lift you up to Him,
breathing His faith into you, and
carrying you Himself until you are
able to walk. Salvation is brought
to every sinner. If the soul is lost it
is because it has neglected and defied
God's love.
I am glad to ])ring you this salva-
tion, but eternity will be too short
to tell it all. Take it out and then
go out and gather others in to share
it. You will receive a glorious
crown, but the best of it all will be
that men will be saved.
In this city there is a picture hung
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. 39
up in a parlor and expensively f ra med.
It is a very simple picture. It has
just one word on it. On a little bit
of paper — a telegraph form — is the
one word,
SAVED !
It was framed by the lady of that
mansion, and is dearer to her than
all her works of art. One day when
the awful news came to her through
the papers that the ship on which
her husband had sailed was a perfect
WTeck, that little telegram came to
her door and saved her from despair.
It came across the sea. It was the
message of that rescued man by the
electric wire, and it meant to two
hearts all that life is worth.
Oh, let such a message go up to-
40 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
day to yonder shore. The Holy
Ghost will flash it hence while I am
drawing the next breath. The angels
will echo it over heaven, and tliere
are dear friends there to whom it
will mean as much as their own very
heaven.
I have seen another short sentence
in a picture, too.
It came from one who had been
rescued from a ship where friends
and family had all perished. Those
dear little ones were in the slimy
caves of the cruel sea. Those be-
loved faces had gone down forever,
but he w^as saved, and from yonder
shore he sent back this sad and
weary message,
SAVED ALONE!
So I can imagine a selfish Chris-
CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR. 41
tian entering yondei' portals. They
meet him at the gates. ^' Where
are your dear ones?" ''Where are
your friends?" ''Where is your
crown ?" " Alas ! I am saved alone."
God help you, reader, to so receive
and give, that you shall save yourself
and others also.
Must I go, and empty handed,
Must I thus my Saviour meet,
Not one soul with which to greet Him,
Lay no trophy at His feet ?
II.
CHRIST OUIi SANCTIFJKR.
And for llicir sakcs I sanctify myself, that
lluv also niij^ht be sanctified thronj^li the truth.
John xvii : 19.
HE marginal leading of the
last claiiso is, " That they also
T might ho truly sanctified/'
This seems to imply that there is
something which passes in the world
for holiness, which is not true sanc-
tification. There are counterfeit
forms of Christian life, and also de-
fective forms, wiiich do not repre-
sent all that the fullness of Christ is
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. 43
able to do for us. Sanctification is
the second step in the Four-fold
Gospel.
I. WHAT IT IS NOT.
We will look at first what it is
not. There are good elements and
even holy elements in Christian
character, which are not sanctifica-
tion.
1. It is not regeneration. Sancti-
fication is not conversion. It is a
great and blessed thing to become a
Christian. It is never a matter of
small account. To be saved eter-
nally is cause for eternal joy ; but
the soul must also enter into sancti-
fication. They are not the same.
Regeneration is the beginning. It
44 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
is the germ of the seed, l)ut it is not
the summer fullness of the plant.
The heart has not yet gained entire
victory over the old elements of sin.
It is sometimes overcome by them.
Regeneration is like building a house
and having the work done well.
Sanctification is having the owner
come and dwell in it and fill it with
gladness, and life, and beauty. Many
Christians are converted and stop
there. They do not go on to the
fullness of their life in Christ, and
so are in danger of losing what they
already possess. Germany brought
in the grand truth of justification by
faith through the teachings of Mar-
tin Luther, but he failed to go on to
the deeper teachings of the Chris-
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. 45
tian life. What was the result?
Germany to-day is cold and lifeless,
and the very hot-bed of ratiCnahsm
and all its attendant evils. How
different it has been in England !
The labors of men like Wesley,
and Baxter, and Whitfield, who un-
derstood the mission of the Holy
Spirit, have led the Christian life of
England, and America, her offspring,
into deeper and more permanent
channels. You will find that the
men and women who do not press
on in their Christian experience to
gain the fullness of their inheritance
in Him, will often become cold and
formal. The evil in their own heart
will assert itself again and will be
very likely to overcome them, and
40 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
their work will bring confusion and
disaster to the cause of Christ. If
they escape the result, it will be as
by fire. You have doubtless noticed
young Christians who have seemed
to be marvelously converted and
filled with tlie love of God, but they
have not entered into the deeper life
of Christ, and in an evil hoar they
failed. They had gained a new
heart, but they had neglected to get
the deeper teaching and life which
Christ has for all His children.
2. Sanctification is not morality,
nor any attainments of character.
There is very much that is lovely in
human life which is not sanctifica-
tion. A man cannot build up a good
human character himself and then
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. 47
call it the work of God. It will not
stand the strain that is sure to come
upon it. Only the house that is
founded upon the Rock of Ages will
abide securely in the wrath of the
elements.
3. Sanctification is not your own
work ; it is not a gradual attain-
ment which you can grow into by
your own efforts. If you should be
able to build such a structure your-
self, and add to it year after year
until it was completed, would you
not then stand off with a pardonable
pride and look upon it as your own
work ? No, dear friends, you cannot
grow into sanctification. You will
grow after you are in it into a fuller,
riper and more mature development
48 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
of life in Christ, but you must take
it at its commencement as a gift, not
as a growth. It is an obtainment,
not an attainment. You cannot
sanctify yourselves. The only thing
to do is to give yourself wholly to
God, a voluntary sacrifice. This is
intensely important. It is but a
right thing to do for Him. But He
must do the work of cleansing and
filHng.
4. Sanctification is not the work
of death. It is strange that any one
should think there could be a sancti-
fying influence in the dying strug-
gle. Yet many have lived in that
delusion for years. They expect
that the cold sweat of that last hour
and the convulsive throbbing of the
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. 49
sinking heart will somehow place
them in the arms of their Sanctifier.
This comes in some degree from the
old idea that their sin is seated in
the body — the old Manichsen teach-
ing that the flesh is unholy, and if
we were once rid of the body, the
fleshless tenant would be free from
sin and would spring at once into
boundless purity. There is no sin
in these bones and flesh and liga-
ments. If you cast off your hand
you have lost no sin. If both hands
are gone you are as sinful as ever.
If you cut off your head and yield
up your life, sin would still remain
in the soul. Sin is not in the body,
it is in the heart, and the soul,
and the will. Divest yourself of this
60 THE FOUR FOLD GOSPEL.
body of clay, and the spirit will still be
left, a hard, rebellious, sinful thing.
Death will not sanctify it. It is a
poor time to be converted. It will be
a poorer time to be sanctified. I
would not advise any one to put oif
their salvation to the dying hour,
when the heart is oppressed and the
brain clouded, and the mind has need
of confidence and rest and a sense of
victory to enable it to enter into His
presence with f uUness of joy. Nor is
it a better time for the deeper work
of the Holy Ghost. Sanctification
should be entered into intelligent y
when the mind is clear. It is a de-
liberate act calling for the calm exer-
cise of all the faculties working under
the controlling influence of the Divine
Spirit.
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. 51
5. Sanctifi cation is not self-perfec-
tion. We shall never become so in-
herently good that there will be no
possibility or temptation to sin. We
shall never reach a place where we
shall not need each moment to abide
in Him. The instant w^efeel able to
live without Him, there comes up a
separate life within us which is not a
sanctified life. The reason the ex-
alted spirits in heaven fell from their
high estate was, perhaps, because
they became conscious of their own
beauty, and pride arose in their
hearts. They looked at themselves,
and became as gods unto themselves.
The moment you or I become con-
scious that we are strong or pure,
that instant the work of disintegra-
52 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
tion begins. It has made us inde-
pendent of Him, and we have sep-
arated ourselves from the Hfe of
Christ. We must be simple, empty
vessels, open channels for His life to
flow through. Then Christ's perfec-
tion will be made over to us. And
we shall grow ever less and less in
ourselves, as He becomes more and
more within us.
0. Sanctification is not a state of
emotion. It is not an ecstasy or a
sensation. It resides in the will and
purpose of life. It is a practical con-
formity of life and conduct to the
will and character of God. The will
must choose God. The purpose of
the heart must be to yield to Him,
to please and obey Him. That is the
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. 53
important thing, to love, to choose
and to do His holy will. You can
not have that spirit in you and fail to
be happy. The spirit that craves
mere sensational joy has yet an un-
holy self life. It must get out of that
form of self and i . to God before it
can receive much from Him.
II. WHAT SANCTIFICATION IS.
Let us look at the positive side.
1. It is separation from sin that is
the root idea of the word. The sanc-
tified Christian is separated from
sin, from an evil world, even from
his own self, and from anything that
would be a separating cause between
him and Christ in the new life. It
does not mean that sin and Satan are
64 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
to be destroyed. God does not yet
bring the millennium, but He puts a
line of demarcation between the
sanctified soul and all that is unholy.
The great trouble with Christians is
they try to destroy evil. They think
if sin could be really decapitated and
Satan slain they would be supremely
happy. It is a surprise to many of
them after conversion that God still
lets the devil live. He has nowhere
promised that He will kill Satan, but
He has promised to put a broad,
deep Jordan between the Christian
and sin. The only thing to do with
it is to repudiate it and let it alone.
There is sin enough in the world to
destroy us all, if we take it in. The
air is full of it, as the air in some of
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. 55
our Western States is full of soot
from the soft coal that is burned
there. It will be so to the end of
time, but God means you and me,
beloved, to be separated from it in
our spirit.
2. Sanctification means also dedi-
cation to God. That is the root idea
of the word also. It is separation
from sin and dedication unto God.
A sanctified Christian is wholly
yielded to God to please Him in every
particular ; his first thought always
is, ''Thy Avill be done ;" his one de-
sire that he may please God and do
His holy will. This is the thought
expressed by the word consecration.
In the Old Testament all things
which were set apart to God were
56 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
called sanctified, even if there had
been no sin in them before. The
Tabernacle was sanctified ; it had
never sinned, but it was dedicated to
God. In the same sense all the
vessels of the Tabernacle were sanc-
tified. They were set apart to a holy
use. Dear friends, God expects
something more of us than simply to
be separated from sin. That is only
negative goodness. He expects that
we shall be wholly dedicated to Him,
having it the supreme wish of our
heart to love and honor and please
Him. Are we fulfilling His expecta-
tions in this ?
3. Sanctification includes conform-
ity to the likeness of God. We are
to be in His image, and stamped with
the impress of Jesus Christ
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. 57
4. Sanctification means conformity
also to the will as well as the likeness
of God, A sanctified Christian is
submissive and obedient. He desires
the Divine will above everything else
in life as kinder and wiser for him
than anything else can be. He is
conscious that he misses something
if he misses it. He knows it will
promote his highest good far more
than his own will, crying instinc-
tively, "Thy will be done."
' ' Thou sweet, beloved will of God,
On thee I lay me down and rest,
As babe upon its mother's breast."
5. Sanctification means love, su-
preme love to God and all mankind.
This is the fulfilling of the law. It
is the spring of all obedience, the
68 THE FOUR FOLD GOSPEL.
fountain from which all right things
flow. We cannot be conformed to
the image of God without love, for
God is love. This is, perhaps, the
strongest feature in a truly sanciified
life. It clothes all the other virtues
with softness and warmth. It takes
the icy peaks of a cold and naked
consecration and covers them with
mosses and verdure. It sends bright
sunlight into the heart, making
everything warm and full of life,
w^hich would otherwise be cold and
desolate. The savage was able to
stand before his enemies and be cut
to pieces with stoical firmness that
disdained to cry, but his indifference
was like some stony cliff. It was
not the warm, tender love of the
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. 59
heart of Jesus, which made Him bow
meekly to His painful death because
it was His Father's will. It was the
spontaneous, glad outflowing of His
loving heart. Dear friends, if we
are so filled with love to God, it will
flow out to others, and we shall love
our neighbors as we love ourselves.
III. THE SOURCE OF SANCTIFICATION .
The heart and soul of the whole
matter is seeing that Jesus is Him-
self our sanctification. We must not
look at it merely as some great
mountain peak where He is standing
and which we have to climb, but
between us and it there are almost
inaccessible cliffs to ascend before
we can stand at His side. But Jesus
60 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
Himself becomes our sanctification.
*^For their sakes I sanctify myself,
that they also may be truly sancti-
fied." It seems as though He was
a little afraid His followers would get
to looking for sanctification apart
from Himself, and knowing that it
could never reach them excei)t
through Him, therefore He said, " I
sanctify myself."
1. He has purchased it for us. It
is part of the fiuit of Calvary. By
one offering He hath perfected for-
ever them that are sanctified. '' By
the which will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of
Jesus Christ once for all. "
2. It does not come to us by our
efforts, but it is made over to us as
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. 61
the purchase of His death upon the
cross. It is ours by the purchase of
Jesus just as much as forgiveness is.
You have as much right to be holy
and sanctified as you have to be
saved. You can go to God and claim
it as your inheritance as much as
you can your pardon for sin. If you
do not have it you are falling short
of your redemption privileges.
3. Sanctification is to be received
as one of the free gifts God desires
to bestow upon us. If it is not a gift
then it is not a part of redemption.
If it is a part of redemption, then it
is as free as the blood of Jesus.
4. It comes through the personal
indwelling of Jesus. He does not
put righteousness into the heart
62 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
simply, but Ho comes there person-
ally Himself to live. Words are
weak ; they, indeed, are utterly in-
adequate to express this thought.
When we arrive at complete despair
of all other ways we learn this truth.
And Jesus Christ Himself comes into
the heart and lives His own life there,
and so becomes the sanctification of
the soul. This is the meaning of
the text. It is to His people that
Jesus sanctifies Himself, and any
who try to live a sanctified life apart
from Him are not truly sanctified.
They must take Jesus in as their life
to be truly sanctified. That is the
personal sense of divine holiness.
'^ But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom,
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. 63
and righteousness, and sanctifica
tion, and redemption." Jesus is
made unto us of God wisdom. He
is the true philosophy, the eternal
Sophia, far above the deepest phil-
osophy, righteousness, sanctification
and redemption. So Jesus in our
heart becomes our wisdom. He does
not improve us, and make us some-
thing to be wondered at. But He
just comes in us and lives as He did
of old in His Galilean ministry.
When the tabernacle was finished
the Holy Ghost came down and pos-
sessed it, and dwelt in a burning fire
upon the ark of the covenant, be-
tween the cherubim. God lived there
after it was dedicated to Him. So
when we are dedicated to God, He
04 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
comes to live in us and transfuses His
life through all our being. He that
came into Mary's breast, He that
came down in power upon the dis-
ciples at Pentecost comes to you and
me when we are fully dedicated to
Him, as really as though we should
see Him come fluttering down in
visible form upon our shoulder. He
comes from yonder world to live
within us as truly as though we
were visibly dwelling under His
shadow. God does come to dwell in
the heart and live His holy life with-
in us. In the 3Gth of Ezekiel we
have this promise : " I will sprinkle
clean water upon you." That is for-
giveness ; old sins are all blotted out.
' ' A hew heart also will I give you ; "
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. 65
that is regeneration. "I will put
My Spirit within you, and cause you
to Avalk in My statutes, and ye shall
keep My judgments and do them ;"
ah ! that is something more than re-
generation and forgiveness. It is
the living God come to live in the
new heart. It is the Holy Spirit
dwelling in the heart of flesh that God
has given, so that every movement,
every thought, every intention, every
desire of our whole being will be
prompted by the springing life of
God within. It is God manifest in
the flesh again. This is the only true
consummation of sanctification. Thus
only can man enter completely into
the life of holiness. As we are thus
possessed by the Holy Spirit we are
6(3 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
made partakers of the Divine nature.
It is a sacred thing for any man or
woman to enter into this relation
with God. It places the humblest
and most unattractive creature upon
the throne ^\^th Him. If we know
that God is thus dwelling \vithin us,
we will bow before the majesty of
that sacred presence. AVe will not
dare to profane it by sin. There will
be a hush upon our hearts, and we
will walk with bowed heads and con-
scious of the jewel we carry within
oui" hearts. Do you know what it is
to have Christ thus sanctified to you,
beloved ? Do you know personally
what it is to be wholly dedicated to
Him, and to hear Him say to you,
''For your sake I sanctify myself
that you may be truly sanctified ?"
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. 67
IV. HOW IT IS RECEIVED.
1. We must have a Divine revela-
tion of our own need of sanctification
before we will seek to obtain it. We
must see for ourselves that we are
not sanctified, and that we must be
sanctified if we would be happy.
The first thing God does often to bring
us where we will see this, is to make
us thoroughly ashamed of ourselves
by letting us fall into mistakes and
by bringing our frailties to our notice.
In these humiliating self-revealings
we are able to see where we are not
righteous, and we are made to learn
that we cannot keep our resolutions
of amendment that we make in our
own strength. God has let His dear
68 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
children learn this lesson all through
the ages, and learn it hy repeated
failures, and each of us must ever
learn it for himself.
2. We must come to see Jesus as
our sanctifier. If with one breath
we cry out, ^'0 wretched man that
I am ! who shall deliver me from the
body of this death ('' with the next
we must add, " I thank God through
Jesus Christ, my Lord.'' We must
see in Him that great deliverer, and
know that He is able to meet our
every need and supply it.
3. We must make an entire sur-
render to Him in everything. We must
give ourselves to Him thoroughly,
definitely and unconditionally, and
have it graven in the heart, as if it
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. C9
were written on the rocks, or painted
on the sky. Cut it deeply in the
annals of your recollection. Always
remember that on that day and on
that hour I gave myself fully to
Christ and He became entirely mine.
4. We must believe that He receives
the consecration we make. He is as
earnest and as willing and as real
about it as you are. Amid the hush
of heaven He stoops to hear your
vows, and He whispers when you
have finished. '^It is done. I will
give to him of the fountain of the
water of life freely. He that over-
cometh shall inherit all things. "
Many people make a mistake about
some of these steps. Some of them
are clinging to a little of their old
YO THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
goodness and therefore meet with
failures. Others stumble at the
second step. They do not see that
Jesus is their complete Sanctifier.
And many cannot take the third step
and make a complete surrender of
everything to Him. Multitudes fail
even when they have taken these
steps in not being able to beUeve that
Jesus receives them. Keep these
four steps clear. ' ' I am dead, my
own life is surrendered and buried
out of sight. Jesus is my Sanctifier
and my all-in-all. I surrender every-
thing into His hand for Him to do
with as He thinks best. I believe
He receives the dedication I
make to Him. I believe He
will be in me all I need in this
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. Yl
life or in the world to come." I am
certain, dear friends, when you have
taken these four steps you can never
be as you were before. Something
has been done which can never be
undone. You have become the
Lord's. His presence has come into
your heart ; it may be like a little
trickling spring upon the mountain
side, but it will become great rivers
of depth and power.
V. PRACTICAL STEPS
by which this life of sanctification
is lived out day by day.
1. We are to live a life of implicit
obedience to God, doing always what
He bids and being henceforth wholly
under His direction.
I 2 TIN-: FOUR-FOl D (ifSPEL.
2. We are to ])e ever li;irk«Miinj^
diligently to His voice. Wr will need
to listen closely, for Jesus spi^aks
softly.
3. In every time of conflict or
temptation or testing, wt^arc to draw-
near to God and give the matter over
to Him. Instead of the sweet and
happy experiences you would natur-
ally expect after such a consecration,
the devil comes and tries to shake
your confidence by some trial or
temptation. Stand in Him and re-
joice that He counts you worthy to
receive such trials. If you fail, don't
say it is no use to try further. The
principle is right. Perhaps you tried
to do the work yourself and so you
failed. Stop and lay it all at His
CHRIST OUR SANCTIFIER. 73
feet and start afresh, and learn to
abide in Him from your very failure.
Israel, after their defeat at Ai, were
stronger for the next conflict. Try
to live out the secret you have
learned. In human art there is
always stumbling at first. You can
learn the principles of stenography
in a very little while, a few hours
perhaps, but it takes months of
patient practice to become expert at
it. At one of our Western meetings
recently, a lady was taking verbatim
reports of the addresses. She was
sitting at a little table with an in-
strument they call a stenograph.
By touching the keys of this instru-
ment a little needle cut impressions
on a paper ribbon, representing with
74: THE FOUR- FOLD GOSPEL.
perfect accuracy the words that
were spoken. She was able to learn
the principle in a few hours, but it
took many many more hours of quiet
practice before she was so accus-
tomed to it that she could do it
easily. The moment we are conse-
crated to Jesus Christ we learn the
secret that He is to be all-in-all to us.
But when we try to practice this
truth, we find that it takes time and
patience to learn it thoroughly. We
must learn to lean on Him. We must
learn little by little how to take
Him for every need. The principle
is perfect. It will become absolutely
unfailing in practice. Remember the
secret of it is, ' ' Without Me ye can
do nothing." ''I can do all things
in Christ, who strengtheneth me."
III.
CHRIST OUR HEALER.
Himself took our infirmities and bare our
sickness. — Matt, viii : 17. Jesus Christ the
same yesterday, to-day and forever, Heb.
xiii : 8.
I. WHAT DIVIXE HEALIXG IS NOT.
E WILL look at its negative
side first. Wherever good
is to be found a counterfeit
of it also will soon appear. Any
valuable coin is always imitated, and
the great forger has been at work on
this also. It is particularly necessary
with this precious truth to guard
against error.
75
TO THE FOUK-FOIJJ G08PRT..
1. Diviiir liraliiii;- is not medical
healing. It does not come to us
tln-ongh medicines, nor is it God's
especial blessing on remedies and
means. It is the direct power of tlie
Alniiglily liand of Gcxl Himself.
" Himself took our infirmities," and
He is able t(^ cany tliem without
man's helj). We have nothing to say
against the use of remedies so far as
those are conceriKMl who are not
ready to trust their bodies fully to
the Lord. For them it is well enough
to use all the help that nature and
science can give, and we cheerfully
admit that their remedies have some
value as far as they go. There is
some power in man's attempts to
stop the tides of evil that sweep over
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 77
a suffering world. But there comes
a point in all efforts when we have
to say, "Thus far shalt thou go
and no further. " Yet no one ought
rashly to give up these human helps
until they have got a better one.
Unless they have been led to trust
Christ entirely for something higher
and stronger than their natural life,
they had better stick to natural
remedies. They need to be sure that
God's Word distinctly presents heal-
ing for disease, and does it as defi-
nitely as it does forgiveness of sin.
2. Divine healing is not metaphy-
sical healing. It is not a system of
rationalism, which is taking on so
many forms in the world to-day, like
the chameleon, assuming the hue- of
78 THE FOUK-FOLD GOSPEL.
the surrounding foliage, according to
the class of })eople it conies in con-
tact with. What is connnonly known
as mind cure or Christian science, is
one of the most familial- forms of
inetai)hysical healing. In Chicago
they call it the Science of Life, hut
it is practically the same thing. It
l»uts knowledge and intellect, or the
mind of man in the i)lace of God. It
is not healing hy remedies, hut hy
mental force. It is a system of false
philosophy and a skeptical theology ;
a philosophy that is ahsurd and mis-
leading, and a theology which is
atheistic and infidel. The hasis of it
is, that the material world is not
real. AVhat seem to he facts are
simply ideas. This church is only a cir-
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 79
cular idea in my brain, and you chance
to have the same idea in yom^s, and
so we call it a church ; but it is not,
it is only an idea. As you sit there
before me you are not there in
tangible form, but I have an idea of
you in my brain, as sitting there. I
am not here either in any physical
sense, but I, too, am an idea lodged in
your mind. So the teachers of this
error go on to say that there is no
body. Disease, therefore, is not real
because it has no basis to work on.
If you accept this philosophy, the
bottom will drop out of all disease.
If the idea of sickness has gone from
your mind, the trouble has gone.
This is a frank, candid statement of
the principles of this theory. It has
80 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
captivated hundreds of thousands of
people in this country and lunidreds
of thousands of doUars have been
made out of it. It is the old philos-
ophy of Hume revived again. The
Bible is treated by these teachers in
the same way as tlie body. It is a
beautiful system of ideas, but they
are only ideas. Genesis is a beauti-
ful story of creation, but it is only an
allegory. The New Testament con-
tains a cliaiiniiiL;- picture of Jesus
Christ, but it, too, luis no foundation
in fact. It is the old errors that
the Apostle John wrote strongly
against. "Every spirit that confess-
eth not that Jesus Christ is come
in the flesh, is not of God : and this
is that spirit of Anti-Christ, where-
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 81
of ye have heard that it should
come ; and even now abeady is it in
the world." This philosophy denies
that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh. It denies the reality of Christ's
body ; therefore, it is anti-Christism
in its teaching. This is not Divine
healing. There is no fellowship be-
tween the two. ±t is one of the de-
lusions of science, falsely so called.
It would undermine Christianity.
Some of us have despised it so much
that perhaps we have not guarded
others against it as we should. We
have felt it was so silly there could
be no harm in it ; but we forget ho\\'
silly human nature is. The apostle
tells us the wise in this world are
fools with God. "He taketh the
82 THE FOUR- FOLD GOSPEL.
wise in thoir own ci-aftinoss." TIow
ti'uly this lias been fulfil Ird in \ho
case of New En<»:lan(l ! That land of
colleges, the seat of American intel-
ligence and culture, has given hirth
to this monstrosity. It is the most
fatal infidelity. It does away en-
tirely with the atonement, for as
there is no sin there can he no re-
demption. T would rathei- he sick
all my life with every form of phy-
sical torment, than be healed by such
a lie.
3. Divine healing is not magnetic
healing. It is not a mysterious cur-
rent which flows into one body from
another. It is a serious question
whether there is such a force in
nature as animal magnetism, and
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 83
whether what this seems to be, is
not lather an influence to which one
person's mind is subject from causes
within itself. Whether this is so or
not, the thought or claim of such an
influence is repudiated by all who
act as true ministers of Divine heal-
ing. Such a one is most anxious to
keep his own personality out of the
consciousness of the sufferer, and
hold the eye of the invalid only on
Christ, that he may take his healing
from Him. There is nothing to be
so much feared in this work as be-
coming the object of attention. It
is heart to heart, and soul to soul
contact with the living Christ, and
with Him alone, that will accom-
plish the result
84 TUK FOT'lMT)LD GOSPEL.
4. Divine lioaling is not s})iritual-
isni. It cannot l)c di^niod tliat Satan
has a cortain {Ktwcr ovov tlio Innnan
Ixxly. Certainly lie must havo if lio
is al)l(' to possess it with disease.
And. if lie has power to inflict ill
hcahh ujMiii the hod y, T see no reason
why he should not, if he i)lease, oi)en
the hack do(H- and get out and leave
the hody well. If Satan had powei-
to hind a woman in Christ's time, for
eighteen years, he had ])ower to nn-
hind her just as (piickly. If sick-
ness was his work then, it must
surely he the same now. If he can
use some persons better if they are
strong and well, he will do so. Other
instruments he can use better in
weakness and pain. We cannot but
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 85
notice the strange persistency with
which people of all ages have re-
sorted to evil powers, either to ap-
pease them or enlist their help. The
custom is as old as the earliest races.
We find it with the wild Indian in
the forest, and the equally savage
African. Particularly have these
wild incantations been performed for
the healing of sickness, and it is
said that many of them have actu-
ally resulted in the removal of the
disease. There can be no question
that great multitudes of spiritualistic
phenomena are real. They give
positive evidence of the reality of
evil spirits, and they are proofs of
God's terrible forewarning, that in
the last days the spirits of devils
S6 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
shall 1k' upon the eaitli working
miracles, so that, if i)()ssil)le, tliey
shall deceive the vei-y elect. God's
true cliild will ii<»t he deluded hy
them. If you ;iiv dccoivcd al)out
this tliiii.L;-. lonk out ! ^'ou iii.iy not he
God's true eiiild. I warn you as you
value your true wdrarc avoid this
seductive suaiv. ^'ou will lind in it
some reality, hut it is a daugerous
|»oW('i- and it will suhnici-ge your
Christian laitli hrjicath its liidoous
waves.
r>. Divine hcalini;' is not praver
rure. There aic many Chiistians
who greatly desii-e others to pray lor
them. If they can secure a certain
tpiantity of })rayor there will come
a corresponding inllueiice for good
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 87
upon them, and if all the Christians
in the world were to pray for them,
they would expect to be healed.
There is a general notion that there
is a great deal of power in prayer
which must have an effect if it can
be concentrated. And if enough of
it could be obtained, it would leniove
mountains and perhaps be able to
break down God's stubborn will.
This is practically what this view
teaches. There is no power in prayer
unless it is the prayer of God Him-
self. Unless you are in contact with
Christ the living Healer, there is no
healing. Christ's healing is by His
own Divine touch. It is not prayer
cure, but Christ-Healing.
6. Divine healing is not faith cure.
88 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
Tlir tcnil ^ixr^ ;i WToIli; illljUTSsioll,
.111(1 I am ^I.kI it lias hmi discardt'd.
'I'hrir is (laiiL;ri- (if ;j.ctt iii^' one's mil id
so cKiicfiit latrd oil tailli that it may
(•ollic ItrlWrrll tlic S(»ul alld (iod.
>'(>ii liiiulit as Well «'.\i>«'(t voiii- tail 1 1
t(» Ileal y(»ii. as to attejiijit to drink
I idiii t lir liandli- <•(■ the <liaiii pump
with wliicli \(»n ^t-t lirsli watn, or
to cat llir tiay npou wliidi youi'
dm lire i> hi-oni;lit. It yoii i;rt t(»
loiikiu;^- at youi' lailli, yon will lose
tlir laitli it^rlf. It is (i(MJ w Ik. lirals
always. The less wr dwrll on the
prayt'is, the faith, or any of tlu*
means thion^h which it comes, the
moir likely we will he to receive the
blessing.
7. Divine healing is not will power.
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 89
No person can grapple with his own
helplessness and turn it over into
strength. It is a principle of me-
chanics that no body can move itself.
There must be some power outside
of itself to do this. Archimedes said
he would be able to pry up the world
if he could get some power outside
of it to operate on it ; but he could
not do it from the inside. If man
is down, all the power in his own
soul will not avail to lift him uj).
The trouble too often is in his will.
He tries to take hold of himself and
lift himself up. He must have some
power outside of himself to lift him,
or he wU remain down. The will
must be yielded up to Christ, and
then He will work in us to will and
00 THE FOUR-FOLD (iOSPEL.
(l<^ of His good pleasure. Tlu'ii the
tii'st th()iii;]it will be how easy, how
<leUghti'ully simple it is to receive
the ])owur from Him which wc need.
It is only toucliiiiL;" ( Jod's li.iiid and
receiving strt 'Hull 1 lioin His lite.
>>. Divine healing is not detiaiiec of
(Jod's will. It is not saying. ** 1 will
have this blessing wjicllici- Ilf wills
it (H-not." It is se<*ing that in having
it we hav(^ His liighest i)nrpos(' for
US. ^Ve will not trust for physical
hraling till we know it is God's Avill
tor us, then we can say, "1 will it,
because He wills it."
0. Neither is it physical immor-
tality, but it is fullness of life until
the life-work is done, and then re-
ceiving our complete resurrection life
at the coming of Christ.
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 91
10. Divine healing is not a mer-
cenary medical profession that men
adopt as they would adopt a trade or
profession in order to make some-
thing out of it. If you find the mer-
cenary idea appearing in it for a mo-
ment, discountenance and repudiate
it. All the gifts of God aie as free
as the blood of Calvary.
II. WHAT DIVINE HEALING IS.
1. It is the supernatural, Divine
power of God, infused into human
bodies, renewing their strength and
replacing the weakness of suffering
human frames by the life and power
of God. It is a touch of the Divine
omnipotence, and nothing short of it.
It is the same power that raised
92 THE FOUR FOLD GOSPEL.
Jaini.'^" (laught«-'r iioni the drad or
coiivt'itrd your soul. Is it straugc
tliat (iod should show sucli powci- f
^h)r«' jMtwcr is riMjuircd to n'«^i'ii('iat('
a lo>i sold than to raisr thr dead.
( lod could >lii\ (•!• the scpnlcliic and
hriiii;- oiit t lir tonus of tlioM' w ho
liaxf lain there tor years, with less
expeiiditnie of jtowei- tlian it costs
1 1 ilM to I'edeeni olle soul. and keej)
His s.niits steadta^t unto the end.
2J. It is founded, not on the icason
iuLC of man, or the te-t iniony of those
wh<» hav«' IxMii healed, hut on the
Word of (.iod alone. All tli<' testi-
mony that conld l)e ^atheied from
the whole uni\«'ise would not estah-
lish the trutli of such a doctrine, if it
is not to be found in the Scrii)tLues.
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 93
All the deductions of the human in-
tellect ai'e worthless if they are not
rooted there. This truth rests on
God's eternal word, or it is merely
human.
3. It ever recognizes the will of
God, and bows to that in profound
submission. A Christian who is look-
ing for Divine healing will wait till
he knows the will of God, and hav-
ing learned that, he will claim it
without wavering. If a sufferer is
convinced that the work God gave
him to do is done, and that now he is
called home, then he should acquiesce
in that will and lie down in those
blessed arms and rest. If that con-
viction has come to any of you, dear
friends, I would not dare to shake
04 THK I'OUHrOLD (JOSPKL.
ynii Milt iA' it . if N'oii li;i\i' limi led
into il li\ ( l«»(l. M \- (»iil\ t Ik (11^1 it
would 1m' \i) swcL'tly sinootlir your
last pillow, and Irt you drj>art in
pracr. if, liowfvrr. you think youi-
work is Hot doll.', if you liavf not
ch'ar li_L;"lit froiii (lod that this i^s**.
il tliriri^ a Iruf ami >uhnii^si\ .• dr
sire in your ln-ait to li\r and tiinsii
your coui'sc with joy, thru He who
said nraily two thousand yr.ir^ a^o,
" < MiL;ht n<»t this woman to he loosed
fioin thi^ intiiniity r '\< tin- sanir to
day as Hr was thru. Me is sayini;
to you in thr midst of your weak-
ness, " Ou<j;ht you not to he made
well r Surely that should he enough.
It may he. howevei-. that y(»ui
sickness has been allowed to come as
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 95
a discipline. You may have been
holding back part of the full testi-
mony or service Christ has called you
to. I am afraid, then, you cannot be
healed till that difficulty is made
right. You may be in some wrong
and crooked attitude. He probably
will not restore you till that is ad-
justed. He may have called you to
some service and you are holding
back. There will not be healing for
the body till you have yielded at this
point. There are hundreds of mean-
ings in the sicknesses that are al-
lowed to come upon God's dear chil-
dren, and He will show you what
His voice is for you. '' For God
speaketh once, yea twice, yet man
perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a
or; TIIK FOUR-FOLD GOSPKL.
vision of the ni^lit. wiicn doc]) sloo]i
talh'tli ii|i(»ii iiirn in slnnilxMings
upon t lir ImmI. then I Ic o|M'n('tli tlic
ears of nu'H. .nid scalrth tln'ir in
struction, tli.il 11»' may witluliaw
man fiom lii^ purpose, and hidr
j)ridu from man. He krepctli l)ack
liis soul from tlir pit. and hi-^ life
from prrisiiiuj^- 1»\ t lit- ^w oid. lie is
(•liast<'ned also with jtain upon his
hcd. and th<' limit itud*- <>f his hones
with strong- i»ain : so th.it his lifo
ahhoircth hi-cad, and his soul dainty
meat. His llesh is consumrd away,
tliat it cannot he seen ; and his bones
that were not seen, stick out. Yea,
his soul drawcth iirai' imto the i^-i'ave,
and his life to thr drstroyers. If
there he a messenger with liim. an
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 97
interpreter, one among a thousand,
to show unto man his uprightness,
then He is gracious unto him, and
saith, ' Dehver him from going
down to the pit : I have found a
ransom.' His flesh shall be fresher
than a child's ; he shall return to
the days of his youth." That is the
meaning of many of G-od's chasten-
ings. There is much that He would
say to men through His dealings
with their bodies, and it is necessary
to get their full meaning into the
soul before Divine healing can be
received, and kept after it has been
received. It is not a cast-iron patent
that works inexorably in one way
always ; it requires a walk that is
very close with God. When the
98 THE FOUR FOLD GOSPEL.
soul is thus walking in harmony and
obedience to Him, thf life of (xod
can fully flow into the body. Thank
God, we cannot liavc it and liav(> the
devil, too.
8. Divini' licahiiL;" is part of the
redemption work nf Jesus C'hrist.
It is one of tlic things He came to
bring. Its foundation stonc^ is the
cross of Calvary. "He redeenu'th
thy life fiom destruction." '' De-
livci' him from going down [o death,
I have found a raiison." Surely that
healing comes from Himself alone.
"By His stripes we are healed."
That is the redemption work of
Christ. You liave a right to do it,
beloved, for His body bore all the
liabilitv of vour bodv on the cross.
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 99
Take it and love Him better, because
it came from His stripes. I love to
think of that word as being in the
singular number, stripe. That is
the Greek meaning. His body was
so beaten that it was all one stripe.
There was not an inch of His flesh
but Avas lacerated for us. There is
not a fibre of your body but Christ
has suffered there to redeem it.
4. Divine healing comes to us
through the life of Jesus Christ, who
rose from the dead in His own body.
He has gone up to heaven with His
living body. You can see Him there
this morning, with hands and feet of
living flesh and bones, which you
could handle. He could sit with you
at the table and eat to-day as He did
lOU THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
of old. He is no sliadowv tloud like
form, l»nt lie has tlcsh and blood as
we have. Tliat is our Christ, a living
pliysical C'iirist, and He is ahle and
willing to share His ])hysical lil'e with
you, by breathing into you His
strength. We are healed by the life
of Christ in our body. It is a tender
union with Him : nearer tliaii the
bond of connubial oneness; so near
that the very life of His veins is trans-
fused into yours. That is Divine
liealing.
."). It is the work of Hk^ Holy Spirit,
quickening the body. When Christ
healed the sick while He was upon
earth, it was not by the Deity that
dwelt in His luirnanity. He said,
" If I cast out devils by the Spirit of
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 101
God, then the KiDgdom of God is
come unto you." Jesus healed by
the Holy Ghost. '' The Spirit of the
Lord is upon me, because He hath
anointed me to preach the Gospel to
the poor, to heal the broken hearts."
The Holy Ghost is the agent, then,
by which this great power is wrought.
Especially should we expect to see
His working in these days, because
they are the days of His own Dispen-
sation, the days in which it has been
prophesied that there shall be signs
and wonders. How did Samson re-
ceive his strength ? When the Spirit
of the Lord came upon him. Then
he was able to hurl the temple into
ruins and their god Dagon with it.
The Spirit of God was in his flesh.
102 THE FOUR-FOT.D OOS^PEL.
So whon tliis electric firr is iiiimin*:;
throu^li our fi-ain<', it l)riiii;s liralin^
and strength to every fibre.
0. Divine lipalin.i;- comes by the
grace of God, n<»t through the work
of" mail. It camiot l»r Ixiught, neither
can it he worked tor. We camiot
lielp God out in it. We nui-t take it
as a gift. It comes to us as ])ai-don
does, a free gift IVom llim.
7. It conies to us by faith. It is
not the faith that lieals. God heals,
but faith receives it. We believe
that God is healing before any evi-
dence is given. It is to be beli<'ved
as a present reality, and then ven-
tured on. We are to act as if it were
already true. God wants us to lean
on Him, and trust Him, and tlien re-
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 103
joice and praise Him for what He
has given, with uo doubt or fear.
8. Divine heahng is in accordance
with all the facts of Church history.
From the time of Iraeneus down to
the present century there have been
repeated examples of it. It is a long
array, and great multitudes of healed
ones proclaim with one voice : ' ' Jesus
Christ, the same yesterday, and to-
day, and forever. " All down through
the middle ages the pure Church be-
lieved this truth and taught it. The
Waldenses held it as an article of
their faith. The times of the early
Eef ormers are full of it. The hves of
Luther and Baxter, and Fox and
Whitfield, and John Wesley, give
clear and convincing testimony that
104 TIIF FOrU -FOLD (losPKL.
they lM']i(»v»Ml this tnitli. In l.ttn
times tlir cxaiiiplcs of it .irr inmici-
OUS. Grniiaiiy, Swit/cilaiid. Swrdcii,
Norway, Kiii^Iaiid and hcj- colonic^s,
and the mission fields of thr world,
have many witnesses to thr hraliti^
power of Jesus. Oui- own land, and
even oui- own city, are lull (»!" it.
You have many witnesses to it hnr
in your midst. You know then], and
how some of them have stood the
test oi' i>ul>li(ity and of years. Tliey
are not obscure cases. Many of t hem
are men and women wlio liave stood
in the very front of Christian work.
There is every kind of character and
intelHgence and temperament and
disposition among them. There are
children among them, as well as old
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 105
men. Some of them have had lofty
intellects, but they have been trans-
formed into simple children. There
are all classes of disease among them
— from the terrible cancer to the most
disordered of nervous organisms.
And He has healed them all.
9. Divine healing is one of the
signs of the age. It is the forerunner
of Christ's coming. It is God's an-
swer to the infidelity of to-day. Man
may try to reason it down with the
force of his intellect. God meets it
with this unanswerable proof of His
power.
HI. HOW IS JESUS OUR HEALER?
1 . Because He has brought healing
for us with His stripes. It is a part
106 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
of His purchased ledemption on Cal-
vary. ''Surely, He liatli ])()ine our
sicknesses and carried our pains."
i\ Because it is in His risen lilV in
us. We have heaHng not only fi'oin
Jesus, hut in Jesus. It is in His
living body, and we receive it as we
abide in Him and keep it only as we
abide in Him.
3. Because He enables us to take it
by becoming our power to believe.
He gives the faith to tmst Him if we
will receive it. We have not to climb
the heights to find Him, but He
comes down to our helplessness and
becomes our trust as well as our
healing. A Chinaman was once tell-
ing the difference between Christ and
Confucius and Buddha. He said :
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 107
^* I was down in a deep pit, half sunk
in the mire and was crying for some
one to help me out. As I looked up
I saw a venerable, gray-haired man
looking down at me. His counte-
nance bore the marks of his pure and
holy spirit. ' My son,' he said, ' this
is a dreadful place. ' ' Yes, ' I said,
' I fell into it. Can't you help me
out?' 'My son,' he said, 'I am
Confucius. If you had read my
books and followed what they taught,
you never would have been here.'
^Yes, father,' I said, 'but can't you
help me out?' As I looked up he
was gone. Soon I saw another form
approaching, and another man bent
over me, this time with closed eyes
and folded arms. He seemed to be
lOS THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
lookiiit; into some far-off, distant
])la(*(\ ' My son,' he said, ' just dose
your eyos and fold your arms and
forget all about yourself. Get into a
state of perfect rest. Don't think
about anything that could disturb.
Get so still that nothing can move
you. Then, my child, you will be in
such delicious rest ns I .un. 'Yes,
father,' I answered, ' I'll do that
when I am above ground. Can't
you help me out ? ' But Buddha,
too, was gone. I w^as just l>eginning
to sink into despair when I saw an-
other figure above me, different from
the others. He was very simple, and
looked just like the rest of us, but
there w^ere the marks of suffering in
His face. I cried out to Him : 'Oh,
CHRIST OUR HEALER. 109
Father, can you help me ? ' ' My
child, ' He said, ^ what is the matter ? '
Before I could answer Him, He was
dov/n in the mire by my side ; He
folded his arms about me and lifted
me up, and then He fed and rested
me. When I was well, He did not
say, ' Now, don't do that again,' but
He said, ' We will walk on together
now ; ' and we have been walking to-
gether until this day."
That's what Jesus Christ will do
for you, beloved ! He comes down
to you where you are. He becomes
your trust within you, and then you
go on together until the resurrection
light and glory of the coming age
bursts in upon you. May God help
us all to receive Him thus fully for
His own name's sake I Amen.
IV.
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD.
I will give liiin the morning star. Rev. ii: 28.
^HE SECOND COMING of the
V|J Lord Jesus Christ is a distinct
T and important part of the
Apostohc Gospel. '*I declare unto
you the G()S})el," Paul says to the
Corinthians, and then hegins to tell
them of the Resurrection and the
second Advent. It is, indeed, good
news to all who love Him and mourn
the sins and sorrows of a iTiined
world.
It is the glorious culmination of
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. Ill
all other parts of the Gospel . We
have spoken of the Gospel of Sal-
vation, but Peter says our salvation
is ^^ ready to be revealed in the last
time." Then only, when we stand
amid the wreck of time and secure
upon the Eock of Ages,
"Then, Lord, shall we fully know,
Not till then, how much we owe."
We have spoken of Sanctifica-
TiON, but John says: '^When He
shall appear, we shall be like Him,
and every man that hath this hope
in him purifieth himself, even as He
is pure." And we have spoken of
Divine Healing, but Paul says :
'^God hath given us the 'earnest'
of the resurrection in our bodies
now," and Divine healing is but the
112 THE FOUK-FOLD GOSPEL.
first - springing life of wliich the
resurrection will be the full fruition.
So that the trutli and hope of the
Lord's coming is linked with all truth
and life, and is the Church's great
and hk'sscd hopf. In the very he-
i;iiiningof human history God placed
this great hope hefore His children.
In the hour when man fell from
Paradise, God erected in that fallen
Eden, in tlir majestic figiu'es of the
CHERUr.lM, the jnophrcv and symbol
of man's future glory. The faces of
the lion, the ox, the man, and the
eagle, w«.'ie the types of the royalty,
the strength, the wisdom, and the
lofty elevation to which redeemed
man was to rise in Jesus. These
figures run through all the dispensa-
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 118
tions. They are God's portrait of
His redeemed child after redemp-
tion's work is done. God sets before
Himself and before man His sublime
ideal for his future, and He will never
rest till it is fulfilled. It is, there-
fore, well that besides the Gospel for
the present, we should understand,
and live under the power of the
GOSPEL OF THE FUTURE and the
blessed and purifying hope of
Christ's glorious coming.
I. WHAT WE MEAN BY CHRIST'S
COMING.
1. We do not mean His coming to
the individual Christian's heart. He
does thus come most truly and gra-
ciously, and this is the blessed mys-
1 14 I'lIK For IM^oLD cosi'KL.
stery of wliicli \vr have already
spoken in ((Hiiicctioii witli our sanc-
tification. It is "duist in you, the
hope of gloiy." But this is not His
second coming. Some persons are
ready to say, with a great show of
spirituahty, T liave the millennium
in my lieart, and tlu^ T^ord in my
heart ; l(^t those who liave not, spec-
ulate ahout a material coming. Well,
Paul had the Lord in his heart, and
a millennium as near to the third
heaven as these persons will proh-
ably claim ; and John was about as
near his Redeemer's heart as any of
us can ever expect to get on earth ;
but they did speak and wa4te in
terms like this : ' ' Then we which
are alive, and remain unto the com-
CHRIST OUR COMIXG LORD. 115
ing of the Lord, shall be caught up
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air." ^'We know that when He
shall appear, we shall appear with
Him in glory." '^Behold, He cometh
with clouds, and every eye shall see
Him. Even so, come. Lord Jesus."
Indeed, the more we know Jesus
spiritually, the more will we long for
His personal and eternal presence in
the fuller and more glorious sense
which His personal advent will
bring.
2. We do not mean His coming at
death. It is doubtful whether He
does really come for us at death.
Lazarus is represented as borne by
angels into Abraham's bosom : and
Stephen at his glorious departing
116 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
saw Jesus in heaven on the I'ipjht
liand of (Jofl, rising, it is true, to
receive and lionor his faitliful ser-
vant, hut not coming for him per-
sonally. Tl 1 r ( •( n 1 trasts hetween death
and the Lord's coming are very
mark('(l. AVc are not told to watch
for death, hut are delivered from its
fear, ])ut w(^ are to watch for the
Isold's coming. Death is an enemy ;
His coming a welcome visitation of
our dearest friend. Death is a hit-
ter hereavement to the heart ; the
Lord's coming is the very consola-
tion of the bereaved, and the antidote
of death. If death and the Lord's
coming were identical, then the
apostle would have said to the Thes-
salonian believers : "I would not
■ ■ n
CHRIST OUR COMIXG LORD. 117
have you ignorant concerning them
that are asleep, that ye sorrow not
as those that have no hope, for the
Lord has come for them, and will
soon in like manner come for you in
death, and you shall be sweetly
united in death once more." Does
he say that ? No ! But he does say :
'•The Lord shall descend from
HEAVEN . . . and THE DEAD IN
CHRIST SHALL RISE first, and then we
that are alive shaU be caught up
together with them, to meet the
Lord in the air, and so we shall be
ever with the Lord." It is not death
he points them to, but that which is
to overcome death, and of which he
says in writing to the Corintliians :
"Then shall be brought to pass the
118 THE FOUK-FOLI) (i()S!>KL.
saying that is wiittni, * Death is
swallowed up in victory.'" If the
Lord's coiiiiu^i;- is to swallow iij)
drath in victory, it is very certain
that it cannot l»c tli<' sainr thini;-, or
it Would ^wallow u|» itself.
.'-5. W'c do not njcan the s])iritual
coiniuL:,- of Cln-ist thiou-h tlic spread
of tiic (h)s]m1 and the progress of
C'hi'istianity. This is nowhere recog-
nized in the P>ihle as the personal
coming of On'ist.
"Behold, lie coineth with clouds,
and i:\ KKV kvk suai.i, skk Him. and
they also which pierced Him. and
AI.L KINDHKUS OF THK EARTH SHALL
WAH., BKC'AUSE OF HiM." Now, that is
not the way they do when tliey re-
ceive the Gospel. They rejoice. But
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 119
now they are startled and discour-
aged. And they cry, as represented
in another place, to the rocks and the
mountains to fall upon them and hide
them from the wrath of the Lamb.
So, also, the angels, speaking of this
event to the eleven disciples, say :
" This same Jesus shall so come in
LIKE MANNER AS YE HAVE SEEN HiM
GO INTO HEAVEN." This camiot be
the publication of the Gospel, but
must be His personal, visible, and
GLORIOUS APPEARING. The Gospel is
to be widely diffused ; His truth is
to prevail ; His cause is to triumph,
but He is coming personally, and He
is infinitely more than even His
truth and cause.
120 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
II. WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THE
MILLENNIUM (
Some persons have stated that the
doctrine of tlic inilk'iniinni is a
nuKlern invention, and thai the word
itself is not foniid in the Bihle.
The word niilleniiiinn is not Kng;-
hsh, hilt is the Greek word tor <f
iJi()Hsa)i<1 j/ears. It is used repeatedly
in the twentieth chapter of Reve-
lation t(^ denote the |)eriod during
which Christ shall reign with His
saints on the earth after the first
resnrrection. It is a time of victory,
joy and glory. Seven especial facts
are recorded concerning it here :
1. The resurrection and re -union
of the saints.
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 121
2. Their reward and reign.
3. The complete exclusion of Satan
from the earth.
4. The personal and continual pres-
ence of Jesus with them on earth.
5. The suppression of all enemies
and the universal reign of righteous-
ness.
6. The duration of a thousand
years.
7. The immediately succeeding re-
volt of Satan and sinful man, and
the final judgment of the wicked.
If there was no other reference in
the Bible to this time of blessing,
these elements alone would be suf-
ficient to constitute a state and time
of exalted glory and happiness.
Much more do they suffice to identify
122 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
it as the golden age of which former
prophets wrote and spake, when
righteousness, truth and peace shall
" cover the earth as the waters cover
the sea."
in. THE ( niDKK ( >k tuksk two events.
This is tht' next question to he set-
tled, and upon it hang most of the
issues of the (pu'stion. Is the coming
of Christ to precede (»r tollow this
millennial i)eriod ?
1. The most ohvious reason for he-
lieving that it precedes it, is foiuid in
the very passage just referred to
where these events are l)oth de-
sciihed. Th<M-e can he no question
that here the coming of the Lord
precedes and introduces the millen-
nium. His coming is minutely de-
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 123
pictecl in the whole procession from
heaven to earth. Then follows the
conquest and punishment of His
earthly foes, the binding of Satan,
the resurrection of the saints, the
reign of the risen ones and the thou-
sand years. The only way it is at-
tempted to set this aside is to repre-
sent it as figurative and spiritual.
Dean Alford's strong sense and hon-
esty is the best answer to this. If
this be so, he declares, then adieu to
all definiteness and certainty in the
Scriptures. If this be not a literal
coming, resurrection, and millen-
nium, then we do not know what our
Bibles mean about anything.
2. The next argument for Christ's
premillennial coming, is the emphatic
124 THK FOUK-Fol.n (iosPKL.
use of tlir word, "' A\'at(II," in con-
iKM'tiun with it. Many tiiiirsart' we
told to watcli t<n- it. Now if it is to
1m> picccdcd l)y a Spiritual iiiilK'ii-
niuin. the Lord woidd have told us
t(» watcli to|- this. liow could the
early Church watch toi- llis coming,
h(>w can even we if wc know that it
is to he jirccrdcd ]»y a clear thousand
years ^ The very woid watch means
immanencv. and it i^ not immanent,
if ten whole centuries mu>t inter-
vene. If it be ohj(H;te(l that as a
nuittei- of fact Chiist's coming did
not occur during moi-e than ten cen-
tuiics, tliis does not alter its imma
neiicy. An event may he liahle to
occur at any moment foi* years, and
yet be long retarded. That is (juite
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 125
different from its being understood
as not to occur until the later period.
Although God knew just the moment
when His Son should appear, yet He
wanted His Church to be always ex-
pecting it — at even, or at midnight,
or at cock crowing, or in tlie morn-
ing. The announcement of a fixed
previous millennium would have been
fatal to this design, and the Church
would have gone to work to make
her own millennium without Him.
This is just what the Romish Church
did, when Pope Hildebrand an-
nounced in the tenth century that
the millennium had begun, and that
Christ was already present through
His vicar. And some Protestant
teachers have the assumption to tell
1'j!<» THH FOrR-FOT.D GOSPEL.
US to-day tliat tliis <vnturv of pi-o-
gress is the first age of the niilleii-
iiiiini.
:-*>. Tlie iK^xt ])roof of a ])roininen-
nial coming is found in the picture
Christ gives us of the conditiou of
tilings as they were to be down to
tlie close of the Chiistiiin age, and
up to the very hour of His coming.
Just glance at a few hold touches
in the picture.
Some seed fell hy the wayside and
the fowls of the air devoured them ;
some fell on stony places and pcn--
ished ; some were choked hy thorns,
and some fell on good ground and
bore fruit.
But soon the enemy sowed the
tares, aud both grow together till the
harvest.
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 127
The Church, externally, grows up
into luxuriant strength like the mus-
tard plant, but internally is full of
leaven. The true and pure are like
the hid treasure and the pearl, so
hard to find. The net gathers of
every kind and only the angels can
separate the evil at the last.
As the ages roll on, there looms up
the picture, not of a millennium, but
a '^Falling away first." ^^Wicked-
ness shall abound and the love of
many shall wax cold. " ' ^ Many shall
depart from the faith, giving heed to
doctrines of devils." ^^In the last
days perilous times shall come."
There shall be plenty of church mem-
bers, ^^ having a form of godliness ; "
but these shall be the very enemies
lt?S TIIK FOUR -FOLD GOSPKL.
(>f the Cross ol" Christ, " denying the
power thereof/' A holy, happy
woild will not hr waiting t(^ welcome
its King, hnt "as a snare shall He
^onie inito all that dwell on the
earth." " When they shall say,
' Peace and safety, then sudden de-
struction/" And when it hursts
upon them, it shall find tliem " as it
was in the days of Xoah and of Lot ; "
and the Master even asks, "When
the Son of man cometh, shall He fiiid
faith on the earth t "
This is God's picture of the future
of earth until Christ's coming. It
does not look nnicli like a previous
millennium.
No, nor does the story of eighteen
centuries move tow^ards a spiritual
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 129
millennium. New York with half
the proportion of church goers and
nearly double the ratio of drunkards,
has not grown any nearer to it in two
hundred years ; London, with three
million souls who never enter a
church ; Berlin, with one minister to
fifty thousand people ; these three
capitals of the three great Protestant
nations of earth hold out no signal of
its coming. And what shall we say
of wicked Paris, and rotten Constan-
tinople, and idolatrous India, and con-
servative China, and savage Africa ?
When is there coming to them as
much millennial light as we have ?
When will the Christian nation begin
to move toward their golden age ?
Oh, if this be the best God has for us,
l;>0 THE FUUK-FULl) GOSPEL.
tlieii pi'oj)hecy is an rxaggvi'atioii and
the Bible a poetic dieaiii. Thank
(Jod, He is (oniinL; and His Kingdom
shall transcend onr lui^htest hojic,
and His own most i;lo\\ iniz; pictnre.
1\. olUKCrioNS.
Th(^ strongest objections tliat arc
made to this doctrine are :
1. Tt dishonors the woik of the
Holy Ghost, as if He were incom-
I)etent to fulfill His administration,
and were represented as liaving
failed in His great mission to con-
vert the world, and some other
means had had to he i)rovided. In
reply it is enough to say that the
Holy Ghost has not undei'taken to
convert the world, Init to call out of
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 131
it the Church of Christ and prepare
a people for His name, and when
this is done, and all who will accept
Jesus as a Saviour have been called,
converted and fully trained, the time
for the next stage will have come,
and Jesus will come to reign and re-
store His ancient people for their
privileges and opportunities. The
work of the Holy Ghost will not
cease then, for He shall abide with
us for ever, and the ages to come
shall afford unbounded and raore
glorious scoj^e for His grace and
power.
2. It is objected that such a doc-
trine discourages Christian missions,
and saps the foundations of the
Church's most glorious hopes and
132 THK FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
prospects. ( )ii llir «<tiili;irv. it opnis
a pi-<>sp(H-t of i'nv ^laiKlcr i;l<>iv to
tlic Clmrcli at Iut Lord's appcaiiiiL:,-,
and bids Ikt ^o loith, lapt with tin-
dcsirr to jiastcii it, to lucpair the
woild lor His apiirarin^ ; {'nv as an
incentive to this woik. He llii!i>t'H"
has told h('i- that whni t he incssaj;*'
of" salvation lia^ htcii pi-oclaimcd to
all thr \V(.il(L llh'ii shall the end
collie, 'riic lact i:- 1 hat a lari;r 111^1-
joiily (»r the mi^^ioii.jrics now in
lor('i«^ii lands lu'licsc and icjoicc in
flu* ]>l('ssrd ho]»r of the Loril's coin
ini;', ai'c aniinat('(l hy it to lahor
tor the World's cvani;clization, and
cliet'iiMl liy the hlcs^ed thoui;]it that
tlk'ir task is not to convert the
whole hnniaii lace, hut to evaiigehze
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 133
the nations, and give every man a
chance to be saved if he will ; and
they would, indeed, be distracted
and dismayed at the prospect they
behold, did they feel that the world
must wait until the present agencies
have wrought out its full salvation,
while meanwhile three times its en-
tire population every century is
swept into eternity unsaved. The
coming of Christ is not going to sus-
pend mission work. It will biing
the most glorious and complete sys-
tem of evangelization earth has ever
seen. And under its benignant in-
fluence the heathen shall all be
brought to Jesus ; all nations shall
be blessed in Him, and all people
shall call Him blessed. The most
.irdciit tririi(U iA' lo^^t lumi.iiiity must
loii;^- llir iiio^t t'(»i' tlii>. tlir world's
lu'St liopr.
'^. It is ()]\j('ctr(| I hat this (l(»(t i-iiic
h'ads to r.iii.it i( ism. Aii\ t liini;- may
he alms('(|, hut in tlic soImt and Sciip
tural tail li of llii^ dix t linr tln-ir is
nothing lilh'd t<> minister t«> rash
noss, |)i-('snmjit loll oi- folly. Let ns
vci'v cai-rt iilly a\ t»id all altrmpts tn
|»rt»|>h('^v <»nis('l\rs, or hr wise ahovr
that wliich i^ w littrn ; hut Irt ns not
he intimidated hy the di'vil's li<>\\l,
IVnin th«' fullness of God's truth and
testimony. This tinth will make us
a iM'cnliar people. It will take away
the chaim of the world, and separate
us fiom it. It will make us v(M-y
unlike niaiiv selfish and cunifortahle
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 135
Christians, and will set our soul on
fire to serve God and save men.
And if that be fanaticism, then wel-
come such fanaticism.
4. It is objected that it is gross
and material, tending to promote
earthly and carnal hopes in the heart
and the Church, like the earthly
ideas and ambitions of the primitive
apostles which the Master rebuked,
and taught them rather to look for a
spiritual kingdom and a heavenly
home. That was the extreme then,
may not the opposite be now? Is
not the true need the spiritual first,
afterward the material, the resurrec-
tion life of the soul first, then the
resurrection of the body? We do
not hold nor teach any gross or mate-
l:W; TIIK RMIv* Fold «i<»^PKK.
i'i;il iflr.i o|' I hf iiiillcimial a,LC<'. TIh'
iMxIirs nl" tln' saints will l>r spiritual.
aii<l likr His own. P.iit if lie was
pleased to take >\n\\ a Ixxly into the
h(\avenly world and make it tin- een
t i-e and ridwn of ( rcation, i^ it any
tliini:: lint an alVeetatioii to t ly to he
nioir spiritnal tiian oni- l-oi<l '. Nay,
ills all spii-itnal, ami tin- tine pur-
pose an<l end of irdmipt ion is that
*' oni- wliol.' >j»iiit and >onl and ho(ly
he pi-eservrd hlanieless unto the
(•(Mnin;^ ot" oui- Loid .h'<n^ ("hii^t,"
and "the whole ca//// hr tilh'd with
His j^lory."
V. THK SKJNS (»F HIS (•()MIN(J.
\\'hil.- thr day and th.- h..nr shall
he nnrevealed. yet I I is eh ildleli " aiV
not in darkness that that dav should
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 137
overtake them as a thief.'' ^' None,
as the end approaches, none of the
wicked shall understand, hut the
wise shall understand."
There is a distinct order revealed.
He will first come for His own
waiting ones, and they, with the
holy dead, shall he caught uj) to
meet Him in the air. The wicked
world shall he left behind ; a formal
church and a multitude of nations
shall live on and scarcely miss the
little flock that has just been caught
away. Then will begin a series of
judgments and warnings, ending at
last in the descent of Christ in
power and glory, the revelation of
His righteous judgment against His
open enemies, and the beginning of
138 THK FOUR-FOLD COSPEL.
His jM'i-s(>n;il rciicn. Tin ic will tlms
1m' two appr.n iiiLCs iA' .Jesus Christ —
tlir (>nr to His own. tlir otliri-, later,
to the entire woiM ; ihe tirst as a
Jhidi'Lcrooin, the si-cond as a Kiiij^
and .Jn(l,L;»'. The si^ns ot t lir nnr do
not there|ni-r a|)ply to tllf other.
Tip' tirst ol" th«'st' a)>jH'arin,LCs is not
so sharply detined as the other. It is
more iiiiinanrnt and nncrrtain, and
may conir at any honi".
Many ol" the mo>t itnpoi-tant sij^ns
ot" thr Lord's (•omin;^ have ahrady
hren tnllillt'd. For example :
I. The political chanp'S and de-
velopmmts (»r Haniel's u:i"''<d visions
hav(^ ajiparrntly all orcnrird. The
^reat empirrs have come and K'*'i<N
and the minor kiiiLfdoms which were
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 189
to succeed them are now covering
the regions which once they swayed.
2. The predicted ^^FalUng away,"
has long ago hegun, and the man of
sin lias sat in God's temple already
the full time of the prophetic cycle,
and the process has begun which is
to '^consume and destroy unto the
end." The Papacy has fulfilled al-
most all the lineaments of its mar-
velous portrait.
3. The Mohammedan power has
waxed and waned, and the waters of
this great spiritual Euphrates are
being dried up every day to prepare
the way of God's kingly people.
4. The Jewish signs have not been
less remarkable. Jacob is turning
his face again to Bethel, and Jerusa-
1 in Till-: FOUK-FOLD OOSPFT..
Iciii is pi'cpai'iii;^- to put on lici- Item
tifiil ^arniciits again. Her sons aii^
slowly j^atliriiiig, while jralous na-
tions aiv liastrning thcH'Xodus, and
fulfillini;" unconsciously the voice of
projjhrcy.
r». Tlir inlfllrctual si^ns iiw not
less inaikrd. Kiiowlcdi;!' is indiMMJ
increased and inaiix lun to and j'ro,
while human philosophy talks of
evolution anddeclaies that all things
continue as they were, and nature is
inniuitahle and only material.
♦'). The moral signs are even moi-e
marked than Daniel's picture. '* The
wicked shall do wickedly," was never
more tine than to-day. Portentous
forms of wickedness startle the moral
sense eveiy day, and invention is as
ri])e in evil as it is in material art.
CHRIST OUR COMIXG LORD. 141
7. The religious signs are growing
more vivid. Lukewarmness and
worldliness in the Church, intense
longings after holiness on the part of
the few, and a mighty missionaiy
movement are the features of the
age, and the signs of prophecy, that
point to the day of the Son of Man.
8. And finally, an earnest, a grow-
ing and a world-wide expectation of
His coming on the part of all those
who love His appearing, is as pro-
found to-day as it was in Judea, and
even the Gentile world in the age
preceding His advent at Bethlehem.
The morning star is in the East.
^^The children of the day" have seen
it. The cry gone forth, ^'The night
is far spent, the day is at hand;" and
14l' the fouk-fold gospel.
s<M)ii tilt' Sim will till tlir sky and
cover the cai tli w ith iiiillciniial glory.
\ I. Illi: r.LESHINClS OF HIS COMING.
1. It will l)ring us Jesus Hiiuself.
This is llu' best of its blessings. I jke
all the other sections of this Chjspel,
this, too, is the (iospel of Himself.
Not the i-obes and the royal crowns,
not the irsurrection Ixxlirs or iv-
unitrd friends will he the chief joy,
hut
"Thou art coming, wc shall sec Tht-c,
And l)v like Thee on that day."
2. It will hriiii;- us our fiiends.
*' Them wlio sleel> ill Jesus will Ciod
bring with Him." They sliall he
alive, they shah he ivcognized, they
shall be gloriously beautiful, they
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 14:3
shall be ours forever. Not only the
old ones, but such new ones, the
good of all the ages, the men and
women we have longed to know.
What a family !
"Ten thousand times ten thousand,
In shining garments bright,
The armies of the ransomed
Throng up the steps of light ;
O then, what rapturous greetings
On Canaan's happy shore,
What knitting severed friendships up,
Where partings are no more. ' '
3. It will bring us perfect spirits,
restored to His image, glorious in His
likeness, free from fault, defect, or
imperfection, removed above temp-
tation, incapable of falling, and over-
' flowing with unutterable blessed-
ness. We shall wear His perfect
image ; we shall know as we are
Ill 'I'HK roiK-FoLD (lOSI'KL.
kiiown ; wo sliall bo as holy as Ho is
holy ; wo >hall possess His >t icii^tli
.111(1 licauly and porfoct lovc. TIr^
uiiiNtrsc will gazo ujmhi us, and iirxt
to tlir -lory of tlio l^inil) will bo tiio
licanly of tlif bridr.
•1. W'c sliall bav»' pcifcct bodies ;
wu shall possess His pcifrct rosiii-
reetion lifr ; we shall foi'^ot oven
what .1 pain washkc; wo shall spring
into boinidlrss ^ti«'iiL;lh ; oni- hearts
shall tliiill with tlif I'ullncss of im-
mortal life, and space and distance be
annihilate*!. The laws of ^navita-
tiun will hold us n<» more. The
streets of the New Jerusalem verti-
cally and hoii/ontally, the leiiL^th and'
l)readth, and the hiiL;ht thoioof nn)
equal. Our bodies shall bo the perfect
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 145
instruments of our exalted spirits,
the exact reflection of His glorious
body.
5. It will give us the sweetest and
highest service. It will be no idle,
selfish ecstacy, but will bring a per-
fect partnership in His kingdom and
administration. We shaU, perhaps,
be permitted to fulfill the ideals of
our highest earthly experiences, and
finish the work we have longed and
tried to do — with boundless re-
sources, infinite capabilities, unlimited
scope and time, and His own presence
and omnipotent help. The blessed
work will be to serve Him, to bless
others, and to raise earth and hu-
manity to happiness, righteousness
and Paradise restored.
146 THE F(^rR-F(n.D OOSPEL.
r>. It will banish Satan. It will
l)in(l and chain the i\n' and tiend,
whose hati' and powc^- havr lirld the
world in cOges of darkness and misery.
Oh, to be free from his presence for
even a day ! to feel that we need no
longer watch with ceaseless vigilance
against Inm ! to walk upon a world
without a devil 'i Lord, hasten that
glorious day.
7. And it will bring such blessings
to others, to the race, to the world.
It will stop tlie awful tragedy of sin
and suffering ; it will sheathe the
sword, emancipate the captive, close
th(^ prison and the hospital, bind the
devil and his henchman death, beau-
tify and glorify the face of the earth,
evangelize and convert the perishing
CHRIST OUR COMIXG LORD. 14V
nations, and shed light and gladness
on this dark scene of woe and wick
edness.
There shall be no more crying,
There shall be no more pain,
There shall be no more dying,
There shall be no more stain.
Hearts that by death were riven,
Meet in eternal love ;
Lives on the altar given
Rise to their crowns above.
Satan shall tempt us never,
Sin shall o'ercome no more,
Joy shall abide forever,
Sorrow and grief be o'er.
Jesus shall be our glory,
Jesus our heaven shall be ;
Jesus shall be our story,
Jesus who died for me.
Hasten, sweet morn of gladness.
Hasten, dear Lord, we pray ;
Finish this night of sadness.
Hasten the heavenly day.
148 rm: foi'h fold oospkl
Jesus is coming surely,
Jesus is coming soon ;
() lei us walk so purely,
O let us keep our crown.
Jesus, our watch we are keeping,
Longing for Thee to come ;
Then shall be ende*! our night of
weeping,
Then we shall reach our lumic.
Vil. TIIK LESSONS IT LKAVKS.
1. Lfl u> he ready. '*Tlio marriage
(A' the Lanil) is command His wif(»
liatli Jii.idc lirrsj'ir irady. ;iii(l to her
it was (;i:\\ri:i) ihat slir shmild ]>«•
arrayed in tine raiment, clean antl
white." Thank (iod that th<' rohcs
are </irr)i. Let u^ have them on.
W'lnri; i:(»i'i:s. When the Ihidr is
dressed, the w«Ml(Hnji: must hr near.
So let us hasten His coming.
2. Let ns he watching. " r><'li(»ld.
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 140
I come as a thief ; blessed is he that
watcheth and keepeth his garments,
lest he walk naked and they see his
shame.'' Let us not put off the wed-
ding robe for an hour. Let us re-
member His words, ' ' When thesQ
things begin to come to pass, then
lift up your heads and bend your-
selves BACK (Dr. Young), for your
redemption draweth nigh." Keep
your faces turned heavenwards until
your whole being shall curve heaven-
wards, like a dear, old colored saint
we know, whose body, when she
speaks and prays, describes a circle
bending towards the sky.
3. Be faithful. It is to bring the
reward of faithful servants. Let us
"look to it that we lose none of the
150 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
things which we have wrought, but
may receive a full reward." "Hold
fast that thou hast that no man
takes thy crown."
In the ancient Church there was a
noble baud of forty faithful soldiers
in one of the Roman legions, who
were condemned to die for their faith
in Jesus. They were all exposed on
the centre of a frozen lake, to perish
on tlie ice, but allowed the choice of
recanting from their faith at any
moment during the fatal night by
walking to the shore and reporting
to the officer on duty.
As the night wore on the sentinel
on shore saw a cloud of angels hover-
ing over the place the martyrs stood,
and as one by one they dropped, they
CHRIST OUR COMING LORD. 151
placed a crown upon the martyr's
brow and bore him up to the skies,
while all the air rang with the song,
" Forty Martyrs and Forty Crowns. "
At last they had all gone but one,
and his crown still hung in the sky
above and no one seemed to claim it.
Suddenly the sentinel heard a step,
and lo ! one of the forty was at his
side. He had fled. The sentinel
looked at him as he took down his
name, and then said: '^ Fool, had you
seen what I have seen this night you
would not have lost your crown. But
it shall not be lost. Take my place,
and I will gladly take yours ; " and
forth he marched to death and glory,
while agam the silent choir took up
the chorus, ''Forty Martyrs and
152 THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL.
Forty Crowns. Thou liast been
faithful unto death and thou shalt
receive a crown of life."
God help us to hear that chorus
when He shall come I
4. B(^ diligent. Thcii' is much to
do. You can " luisteu the coming
of the day of God." The world is to
he forewarned. The Church is to be
prepared. Arouse thee, O Christian.
Give Him every power, every faculty
every dollar, every moment. Send
the Gospel abroad. Go yourself if
you can. If you cannot, send your
substitute. And may this last de-
cade of the nineteenth century mean
for you and for this world, as noth-
ing ever meant before, a time of
preparation for tJie coming of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ !
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