September 27

And if we bring them to him, will he reject or despise them? Let his command determine this: "Feed my lambs." Let his conduct decide it: "They brought young children to him, that he should touch them. And his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them."

Let those that have children, and let those that are children think of this and be encouraged.

"A flower, when offered in the bud, Is no vain sacrifice."

Another flower, thus offered, can never arrive at perfection. It must wither and die. But this flower shall live and blossom as the rose. The Redeemer will put it into his bosom, and the fragrance shall spread through the church below and the temple above.

"And he brought him to Jesus." John 1:42.

WHAT Andrew here did with Simon, we are to do with our fellow-creatures; we are to bring them to Jesus.

But can men be brought to him now? Did he not say, I am no more in the world? How happy were they who lived when he was on earth. They could repair to him in every trouble, and tell him every distress. Ye benevolent neighbors, you could carry the paralytic, and place him beneath the very eye of mercy. You anxious father, you could go to him and say, "Sir, come down ere my child die." You Martha and Mary, as soon as Lazarus was afflicted, you could send to him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." And cannot you, my dear readers, apprize him of your desire, or your grief? Have not you at your disposal a messenger that you can dispatch to him in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye? "While they call, I will answer; and when they speak, I will hear." And has he not said, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world; and wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of you? If these words be true, he is with his ministers and people now. Though no longer visible, he is accessible. We may apprehend him as to his essential presence, by which he fills heaven and earth. We may apprehend him also as to his peculiar presence, by which he is nigh to them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. He is to be found in the Scriptures: in his house; at his table; on his throne; in the garden, and in the field.

But can we bring souls to him? Not efficiently; this is the work of God only. "No man can come to me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him." And the sooner we are convinced of this the better. We shall then make all our attempts in dependence on the agency of his Spirit; and thus honoring him, he will honor us. But we may do this instrumentally. For God makes use of means, and he employs men. And employs them not only to do good to their fellow-creatures temporally, but spiritually; not only to relieve their bodies, but to save their souls. And various and many are the ways in which we may thus bring men to Jesus. We may do it by intercession; for he hears prayer for others as well as for ourselves. We may do it by the influence of example. Nothing speaks so loud as the silent eloquence of a holy, consistent, and lovely life. By this wives may win their husbands without the word, and servants may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. By this all may be useful. All cannot be learned, all cannot be rich, but all may be exemplary. We may do it by instruction. Thus Andrew brought Peter. We have found, says he, the Messias. And thus the woman of Samaria brought her neighbors, saying, Come, see a man that told me all that ever I did; is not this the Christ? By a word fitly spoken—a letter—an invitation to hear the gospel—the commendation of a good book—the diffusion of the Bible—the sending forth missionaries—the supporting of ministers, whose office it is to turn men from darkness to light—by all these, and many more, we may be the means of introducing souls to Jesus.

But why should we be concerned to bring them? Four things should make us alive to this work. First, to feel a concern for it is an evidence of grace, and an evidence the most decisive. Indeed, every other evidence is fallacious without this; and this is always to be found in a real Christian. For however he may walk in darkness as to a knowledge of his own interest in divine things, and draw the conclusion that he has no part nor lot in the matter, he never is insensible and indifferent to the success of the gospel, and the salvation of souls. Secondly, to attempt it is a duty: a duty that cannot be declined without the greatest guilt—a duty arising from the relation in which we stand to our fellow-men, as bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh—a duty enforced by the will of God, clearly made known in the injunction. As we have opportunity, let us do good unto all men: and what good can equal this? Thirdly, to accomplish it is the most glorious enterprise. What is the rescue of a whole nation from civil bondage compared with the deliverance of one soul from the power of darkness, and translating it into the kingdom of God's dear Son? Can a trifle throw heaven into ecstasy? Yet there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. The work, therefore, is its own motive; its success is its own recompense. And so the apostle deemed it. "If a man err from the truth, and one convert him, let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." Fourthly, to fail in it is no disgrace. Yea, failure here is infinitely more honorable than success in any other enterprise. But wise and good efforts are never in vain. If they are useless as to the direct object, they do good collaterally. If they relieve not the beneficiary, they bless the benefactor. His prayers and endeavors return not void into his own bosom. We are a sweet savor of Christ, not only in them that are saved, but in them also that perish. The promise is not made to success, for this does not belong to us, but to exertion: "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

But while we endeavor to bring others to Jesus, let us see to it that we have come to him ourselves. It is awful to think of being the instruments of his grace, while we are not the subjects.

"Great King of grace, my heart subdue; I would be led in triumph too, A willing captive, to my Lord; And sing the victories of his word."