友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
热门书库 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

莱尔主教holiness-第81章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



   wings and flee away。 Have you an inclination to begin praying? Put it
   in practice at once。 Have you an idea of beginning really to serve
   Christ? Set about it at once。 Are you enjoying any spiritual light? See
   that you live up to your light。 Trifle not with opportunities; lest the
   day e when you will want to use them; and not be able。 Linger not;
   lest you bee wise too late。

   You may say; perhaps; 〃It is never too late to repent。〃 I answer〃That
   is right enough: but late repentance is seldom true。 And I say further;
   you cannot be certain if you put off repenting; you will repent at
   all。〃

   You may say; 〃Why should I be afraid?the penitent thief was saved。〃 I
   answer〃That is true: but look again at the passage which tells you
   that the other thief was lost。〃

   III。 The third lesson we are meant to learn from these verses Is this:
   The Spirit always leads saved souls in one way。

   This is a point that deserves particular attention; and is often
   overlooked。 Men look at the broad fact that the penitent thief was
   saved when he was dying; and they look no further。

   They do not consider the evidences this thief left behind him。 They do
   not observe the abundant proof he gave of the work of the Spirit in his
   heart。 And these proofs I wish to trace out。 I wish to show you that
   the Spirit always works in one way; and thatwhether He converts a man
   in an hour; as He did the penitent thief; or whether by slow degrees;
   as He does othersthe steps by which He leads souls to heaven are
   always the same。

   Let me try to make this clear to everyone who reads this paper; I want
   to put you on your guard。 I want you to shake off the mon notion
   that there is some easy; royal road to heaven from a dying bed。 I want
   you thoroughly to understand; that every saved soul goes through the
   same experience; and that the leading principles of the penitent
   thief's religion were just the same as those of the oldest saint that
   ever lived。

   (a) See then; for one thing; how strong was the faith of this man。

   He called Jesus 〃Lord。〃 He declared his belief that He would have a
   〃kingdom。〃 He believed that He was able to give him eternal life and
   glory; and in this belief prayed to Him。 He maintained His innocence of
   all the charges brought against Him。 〃This Man。〃 said he; he hath done
   nothing amiss。〃 Others perhaps may have thought the Lord innocentnone
   said so openly but this poor dying man。

   And when did all this happen? It happened when the whole nation had
   denied Christshouting; 〃Crucify Him; crucify Him: we have no king but
   Caesar;〃when the chief priests and Pharisees had condemned and found
   Him 〃guilty of death;〃when even His own disciples had forsaken Him
   and fledwhen He was hanging; faint; bleeding; and dying on the cross;
   numbered with transgressors; and accounted accursed。 This was the hour
   when the thief believed in Christ; and prayed to Him I Surely such
   faith was never seen since the world began。 '44'

   The disciples had seen mighty signs and miracles。 They had seen the
   dead raised with a wordand lepers healed with a touch the blind
   receiving sightthe dumb made to speakthe lame made to walk。 They
   had seen thousands fed with a few loaves and fishes。 They had seen
   their Master walking on the water as on dry land。 They had all of them
   heard Him speak as no man ever spake; and hold out promises of good
   things yet to e。 They had some of them had a foretaste of His glory
   in the mount of transfiguration。 Doubtless their faith was 〃the gift of
   God;〃 but still they had much to help it。

   The dying thief saw none of the things I have mentioned。 He only saw
   our Lord in agony; and in weakness; in suffering; and in pain。 He saw
   Him undergoing a dishonourable punishment; deserted; mocked; despised;
   blasphemed。 He saw Him rejected by all the great; and wise; and noble
   of His own peopleHis strength dried up like a potsherd; His life
   drawing nigh to the grave。 (Ps。 xxii。 15; lxxxviii。 3。) He saw no
   sceptre; no royal crown; no outward dominion; no glory; no majesty; no
   power; no signs of might。 And yet the dying thief believed; and looked
   forward to Christ's kingdom。

   Would you know if you have the Spirit? Then mark the question I put to
   you this day。Where is your faith in Christ?

   (b) See; for another thing; what a right sense of sin the thief had。 He
   says to his panion; 〃We receive the due reward of our deeds。〃 He
   acknowledges his own ungodliness; and the justice of his punishment。 He
   makes no attempt to justify himself; or excuse his wickedness。 He
   speaks like a man humbled and self…abased by the remembrance of past
   iniquities。 This is what all God's children feel。 They are ready to
   allow they are poor; hell…deserving sinners。 They can say with their
   hearts as well as with their lips; 〃We have left undone the things that
   we ought to have done; and we have done those things that we ought not
   to have done; and there is no health in us。〃

   Would you know if you have the Spirit? Then mark my question。Do you
   feel your sins?

   (c) See; for another thing; what brotherly love the thief showed to his
   panion。 He tried to stop his railing and blaspheming; and bring him
   to a better mind。 〃Dost not thou fear God;〃 he says; 〃seeing thou art
   in the same condemnation?〃 There is no surer mark of grace than this I
   Grace shakes a man out of his selfishness; and makes him feel for the
   souls of others。 When the Samaritan woman was converted; she left her
   water…pot; and ran to the city; saying; 〃e; see a man that told me
   all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?〃 (John iv。 28; 29。)
   When Saul was converted; immediately he went to the synagogue at
   Damascus and testified to his brethren of Israel that 〃Christ was the
   Son of God。〃 (Acts ix。 20。) Would you know if you have the Spirit? Then
   where is your charity and love to souls?

   In one word; you see in the penitent thief a finished work of the Holy
   Ghost。 Every part of the believer's character may be traced in him。
   Short as his life was after conversion; he found time to leave abundant
   evidence that he was a child of God。 His faith; his prayer; his
   humility; his brotherly love; are unmistakable witnesses of the reality
   of his repentance。 He was not a penitent in name only; but in deed and
   m truth。

   Let no man therefore think; because the penitent thief was saved; that
   men can be saved without leaving any evidence of the Spirit's work。 Let
   such an one consider well what evidences this man left behind; and take
   care。

   It is mournful to hear what people sometimes say about what they call
   deathbed evidences。 It is perfectly fearful to observe how little
   satisfies some persons; and how easily they can persuade themselves
   that their friends have gone to heaven。 They will tell you when their
   relative is dead and gone; that 〃he made such a beautiful prayer one
   dayor that he talked so wellor that he was so sorry for his 
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!