Steve P. Holcombe, the Converted Gambler: His Life and WorkAlexander, Gross
Religion
Steve P. Holcombe, the Converted Gambler: His Life and Work
Alexander, Gross
Holcombe, Steve P., 1835-; Methodists -- United States -- Biography
And it will soon come to pass that, as the text says, you will
"_delight_ in the law of God." Do you ever deliberately, carefully,
studiously, humbly and prayerfully read the Bible? You say, "No." Then
how can you expect to know anything of God? How can a physician know
anything of the nature of the human body unless he studies into it? And
how can you know anything of God and His wonderful mercy unless you go
and search where God has revealed this for man? There are some men who
will not read the Bible because they can't understand it. Of course they
can't understand it all, but, if they can understand one verse in a
chapter, let them take that and study on it and believe it, and keep
reading, and soon more and more will open out to their understanding,
and it will be a constant surprise and delight to find the undreamed-of
beauties and comforts of the word of God. Promise God now that you will
_patiently_ read some every day. You will then find your desire for sin
and sinful associations leaving you.
PSALM I: 3-6.
We propose to-day a continuance of the study of the first Psalm, which
we begun Sunday last. Then we saw the downward course of sin and of the
sinner, and of the great transformation of the nature of men when they
are converted or become righteous.
And now the inspired writer goes on to speak of the fruitfulness of such
men. "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that
bringeth forth its fruit in its season." You know a tree planted by a
river draws moisture from below, and does not depend on the uncertain
rains that may or may not come. And so in time of drought it shall bear
its fruit at its proper season.
So the man who is born of God, whose nature is transformed and made
holy, is fruitful in good deeds, in benevolent works. Having himself
been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the light, he has a
desire, a strong desire, an unquenchable desire, that all others should
know the same happiness, and he works by all means to persuade them, to
get their good will and their confidence. He will feed and clothe them,
take them up out of filth and rags and reclothe them and befriend them
(as we are trying to do at the Mission) in order to get their good will
and direct them to Christ.
Not only so, but when a man has truly the Spirit of God, he has an
inexpressible pity for his poor brother mortals, and a tender sympathy
for their sufferings and sorrows. His heart is a fountain of compassion
for those who are in distress; and this leads him to labor that he may
in some way, and in all possible ways, bring them relief and comfort.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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