I Arrows

I Idiots can be saved. A young man, who had fallen into sin, came to me in deep despair of mind. He was so desponding, that his very face bore witness as to his misery. He wore the aspect of one who could not live much longer as he was. I had tried to set the gospel clearly before him, on the previous Sabbath, but he told me that he could not grasp it, for that by his sin he had reduced his mind to such a state, that he felt himself to be little better than an idiot. He was not speaking nonsense, either, for there are vices which destroy the intellect. I told him that Jesus Christ could save idiots—that even if his mind, in measure, was impaired as the result of sin, yet there was quite enough mind left to be made glad with a sense of pardon, seeing there was more than enough to make him heavy with a sense of guilt. I cheered that brother as best I could, but I could effect nothing by my own efforts. Soon the Lord Jesus Christ came to him, and he is now a happy, earnest, joyful Christian. Not long ago he sent an offering of thanksgiving to God, for having lifted him up from the deeps he had fallen in. I hope there is a long life of real usefulness before him.

"If" of doubt removed.

I heard of a little girl whose mother found her one day with a carving knife and the family Bible. "What are you doing?" she asked, in some surprise, for the safety of both Bible and child. "O mother," she said, "I was reading about the man who came to Jesus and said, 'If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean'; and I thought he ought not to have said 'if to Jesus; so please, mother, I am scraping it out." A very good thing to do with all our "ifs."

Ill-feeling cured by kindness.

I heard yesterday of a wise old Welsh minister of a generous spirit, who was afflicted with a horrible deacon: and if a deacon is unkind, he can wound terribly. This deacon was most perverse and cruel, and tormented the old gentleman in all sorts of ways. At last he fell sick, after having said certain dreadful things which were more bitter than even his usual gall and wormwood. The patient pastor soon went to see him, and on the road he bought some of the best oranges, and took them with him. "Brother Jones," he said, "I am sorry you are so ill; I have come to see you, and I have brought you a few oranges." Brother Jones was very much astonished at this kind act, and had not much to say on the matter. The minister gently talked on, and said, "I think it would refresh you to eat one of these. I will peel you one." So he went on with peeling the orange, and talked with him pleasantly. Then he divided the fruit very neatly, and handed the sick man a nice tempting piece in the gentlest possible manner. The bitter-spirited man ate it, and began to melt a little: the conversation became hearty, and the prayer was pleasant. Brother Jones was getting better in more ways than one. An outsider, who knew all about Brother Jones and his ill-humor, could hardly believe that the minister had acted thus to one who had opposed him constantly, and slandered him foully, and so he asked, "Did you really go and see that cruel old Jones?" "Oh, yes," he said, "I went to see him; I was bound to do so." "And did you take him some oranges?" "Oh, yes, I took him some oranges; I was glad to do so." "And did you sit down by his bedside, and peel him an orange?" "Yes, I peeled him an orange, and I was pleased to see him enjoy it; for I have learned, brother, that when a man is afflicted with a very bad temper, an orange is a good thing for him to take. At any rate, it is a good thing for one to give." The lesson is—if you wish to cure a man of ill-feeling, be very kind to him. View unkind and petulant speeches as symptoms of a disease for which the best medicine is not a dose of bitters, but an orange.

Imagination—Vain.

I have heard of the Chinese, that they sell shoes with which you can walk on the clouds: and I believe that some people must have bought a pair of these remarkable articles, for their lives are spent in cloudland, walking as in a dream, upon high stilts of fond imagination. Do not think great things of yourself. You are but a commonplace man or woman.

Imperfection unacceptable.

Here is a chain containing twenty links. If I break one of them I have broken the chain. True, there are nineteen perfect links, but if number twenty is snapped, down goes the cage over the mouth of the mine, and the miners are killed. Suppose that I should be required to produce a perfect vase of alabaster, or clear crystal, as a present to the Queen; but my servant-maid has chipped it a little. What is to be done? I may possibly find somebody to use some patent cement and fasten the little pieces in their places; but when all is done, it is chipped: it is not perfect; and if it must be perfect before royalty can accept it, I must get another vase, for this one will not do.

Importunity in prayer.

I do not suppose any of you desired a beggar to be importunate with you. Did you ever say, "Whenever I go across this crossing ask me for a penny. If I do not give you one, ask me, run after me, and call after me all the way down the street. If that does not succeed, lay hold upon me, until I help you. Beg without ceasing." Did any one of you ever invite applicants to call often and make large requests of you? Oh, no. Importunity is a common enough thing, when men are seeking earthly boons, but is so sadly rare in heavenly concerns, that the Lord has to exhort us to be importunate with Him. He does in effect say, "Press Me. Urge Me. Lay hold on My strength. Wrestle with Me as when a man seeks to give another a fall that he may prevail with him."

Inferior pursuits.

I met with a clergyman many years ago who was going a long distance to find a new beetle. He was a great entomologist, and I did not blame him for it, for 'to a thoughtful man entomology may yield many profitable lessons. But if he neglected his preaching to catch insects, then I do not wonder that a parishioner should wish that the beetles would nibble his old sermons, for they were very stale. I call it choking the seed when any inferior pursuit becomes the master of our minds, and the cause of God and truth takes a secondary place.

Influence—power of godly.

I remember hearing Mr. Jay tell a story about a Nonconformist servant girl, who went to live in a family of worldly people, who attended the Church of England, although they were not real believers. They were outside buttresses of the Church, and they had very little to do with the inside of it, and outsiders are generally the most bigoted. They were very angry with their servant for going to the little meetinghouse, and threatened to discharge her if she went again. But she went all the same, and very kindly but firmly assured them that she must go again. At last she received notice to go; they could not as good Church people, have a Dissenter living with them. She took their rough dismission very patiently; and it came to pass that the day before she was to leave, a conversation of this sort took place. Her master said, "It is a pity, after all, that Jane should go. We never had such a good girl. She is very industrious, truthful, and attentive." The wife said, "Well I have thought it is hardly right to send her away for going to her chapel. You always speak up for religious liberty, and it does not quite look like religious liberty to turn our girl away for worshiping God according to her conscience. I am sure she is a deal more careful about religion than we are." So they talked it over, and said, "She has never answered us pertly or found fault about our going to church. Her religion is a greater comfort to her than ours is. We had better let her stay with us, and go where she likes." "Yes," said the husband, "and I think we had better go and hear the minister she hears. Evidently she has got something we have not. Instead of sending her away, we will go with her to hear for ourselves." And they did, and the master and mistress were not long before they were members of that church.

Inner Light. A clean lantern with a lighted candle makes no noise, and yet it wins attention : the darker the night the more it is valued. There never was a time when true inner light was more needed than now; may the Lord impart it to each one of us, and then we shall shine as lights in the world.

Insensibility to death. In the higher and colder latitudes, when men feel a sleepiness stealing over them their companions stir them up, and rub them, and will not let them slumber; for to sleep is to wake no more. The man pleads, "Let me sleep for half an hour, and I shall be so refreshed." Alas! if he sleeps he shall do ill, for he will grow rigid in the death which frost brings to one. Go on, wise friends, and compassionately shake him! Hurry him to and fro; or rub him vigorously till he grows sore. I cannot get hold of you at this present hour with my hands, nor would I wish to give you a bodily shaking; but, ok, that I could do this spiritually and wake you up! I cannot leave you to sleep your soul into perdition.

Introspection.

Some spend much of their time in what is called introspection. Now introspection, like retrospection, is a useful thing in a measure; but it can readily be overdone, and then it breeds morbid emotions, and creates despair. Some are always looking into their own feelings. A healthy man hardly knows whether he has a stomach, or a liver; it is your sickly man who grows more sickly by the study of his inward complaints. Too many wound themselves by studying themselves. Every morning they think of what they should feel: all day long they dwell upon what they are not feeling; and at night they make diligent search for what they have been feeling. It looks to me like shutting up your shop, and then living in the counting house, taking account of what is not sold. Small profits will be made in this way. You may look a long while into an empty pocket before you find a sovereign, and you may look a long time into fallen nature before you find comfort. A man might as well try to find burning coals under the ice, as to find anything good in our poor human nature. When you look within, it should be to see with grief what the filthiness is; but to get rid of that filthiness you must look beyond yourself. I remember Mr. Moody saying that a looking glass was a capital thing to show you the spots on your face; but you could not wash in a looking-glass. You want something very different when you would make your face clean.

Inward piety. A form of godliness joined to an unholy heart is of no value to God. I have read that the swan was not allowed to be offered upon the altar of God, because, although its feathers are as white as snow, yet its skin is black. God will not accept that external morality which conceals internal impurity. There must be a pure heart as well as a clean life; the power of godliness must work within, or else God will not accept our offering. There is no value to man or to God in a religion which is a dead form.

Idle words are in the speech of man, not in the writings of Jehovah.

I do not believe in an atonement which is admirably wide, but fatally ineffectual.

If the devil never roars, the church will never sing.

If we do not praise Him, we deserve to be banished to the Siberia of despair.

If we were a little slower we should be quicker. If your life please God, let it please you.

I have heard of Latter day Saints; I far more admire Every day Saints. In a dewdrop the sun may be reflected. It is always easy to rise up early over night. It needs more grace to lead than to follow. I would rather obey God, than rule an empire.