"Billy" Sunday, the Man and His Message: With his own words which have won thousands for ChristEllis, William T. (William Thomas)
Religion
"Billy" Sunday, the Man and His Message: With his own words which have won thousands for Christ
Ellis, William T. (William Thomas)
Baseball players -- United States -- Biography; Evangelists -- United States -- Biography; Sunday, Billy, 1862-1935
God says, "Look out in the beginning for that thing." Society takes
no note of the beginning. It waits until it becomes vice, and then it
organizes Civic Righteousness clubs. Get back to the beginning and
do your work there. God has planned to save this world through the
preaching of men and women, and God reaches down to save men; he pulls
them out of the grog shops and puts them on the water wagon.
I never could imagine an angel coming down from heaven and preaching to
men and women to save them. God never planned to save this world with
the preaching of angels. When Jesus Christ died on the cross he died
to redeem those whose nature he took. An angel wouldn't know what he
was up against. Some one would say: "Good Angel, were you ever drunk?"
"No!" "Good Angel, did you ever swear?" "Oh, no!" "Good Angel, did you
ever try to put up a stove-pipe in the fall?" "Oh, no!" "Did you ever
stub your toe while walking the floor with the baby at three A. M?"
"Oh, no!"
"Well, then, Mr. Angel, you don't know. You say there is great mercy
with God, but you are not tempted."
No. God planned to save the world by saving men and women and letting
them tell the story.
The servant of Naaman entered the hut of the prophet Elisha and found
him sitting on a high stool writing with a quill pen on papyrus. The
servant bowed low and said, "The great and mighty Naaman, captain
of the hosts of the king of Syria, awaits thee. Unfortunately he is
a leper and cannot enter your august presence. He has heard of the
miraculous cures that you have wrought and he hopes to become the
recipient of your power." The old prophet of God replied:
"Tell him to dip seven times in the Jordan--beat it, beat it, beat it."
The servant came out to Naaman, who was sitting on his horse.
"Well, is he at home?"
"He's at home, but he is a queer duck."
Naaman thought that Elisha would come out and pat the sores and say
incantations, like an Indian medicine man. Naaman was wroth, like many
a fool today. God reveals to the sinner the plan of salvation and,
instead of thanking God for salvation and doing what God wants him to
do, he condemns God and everybody else for bothering him.
Now here is a man who wants to be a Christian. What will he do? Will
he go ask some old saloon-keeper? Will he go ask some of these old
brewers? Will he ask some of the fellows of the town? Will he ask the
County Liquor Dealers' Association? Where will he go? To the preacher,
of course. He is the man to go to when you want to be a Christian. Go
to a doctor when you are sick, to a blacksmith when your horse is to be
shod, but go to the preacher when you want your heart set right.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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