Plain Words for Christ, Being a Series of Readings for Working MenDutton, Reginald G.
Religion
Plain Words for Christ, Being a Series of Readings for Working Men
Dutton, Reginald G.
Christian life; Religion
You may not be able to live among the poor in our large towns, it may
not be your calling to be a minister of Christ, but still it is quite
possible to be a martyr, to bear witness for Christ in the station in
which He has placed you. The clerk at his desk, the mechanic in his
workshop, the labourer in the field, the sailor in his ship, the servant
in his situation, all can shew that they are martyrs. The greatest
battles are not those fought on the battle-fields of earth, but in the
secret chambers of the human heart. There is many a brave man who will
face a horde of savage foes on the field of battle and die bravely like
a soldier, but who dare not and will not face his own evil heart; and
there is many a poor creature, with a suffering body and a feeble mind,
who cannot bear a harsh voice or an unkind word, and yet who has gained
the greatest possible victory, the victory over self.
*REPENTANCE.*
"There was a soul one eve autumnal sailing
Beyond the earth’s dark bars,
Towards the land of sunsets never paling,
Towards Heaven’s sea of stars.
And as that soul went onward, sweetly speeding
Unto its home and Light,
Repentance made it sorrowful exceeding,
Faith made it wondrous bright."
_Mrs. Alexander._
What is repentance? The word which in our New Testaments is so often
translated "Repentance," means "a change of heart." Yes, that is what
repentance really is, and not merely a desire to serve God; not an
anxious longing to lead a new life, but actually leading that new life,
and treading new ways by the help of God’s Holy Spirit. Many people
believe and teach the doctrine of instantaneous conversion, as it is
called. And by this is meant that the heart of man is changed in a
moment from a state of sin to a state of holiness; that all the old
desires pass suddenly away, and new affections take their place. Thus
some men will tell you that they can name the day and hour of their
conversion, and that whatever they may do in the future, they will
eventually be found in Christ. We do not by any means deny that there
are such things as instantaneous conversions; but we say that they are
few, and that what seem to be such are often neither lasting nor real.
True repentance is no easy road to tread. Very often it takes a man his
whole lifetime, and even then his repentance may not be complete.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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