From Despair to Hope: The Path of Salvation

Who can understand the subtlety of the human heart well said the prophet the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked The Physician of the body had need be skillful to track disease to its secret origin and to follow it through all its mysterious Pathways in The Mazes of the human body but he who has to deal with Souls has a task harder far in as much as Sin is more subtle than the virus of the most incurable disease and the way in which it inter twists itself with every Power of humanity is even more marvelous than the strange influences of plague and pest upon the human body. [00:35:52]

There are two phases in spiritual life which well illustrate the deceitfulness of the heart the first is that described in my first text in which the man though wearied in his many attempts is not and cannot be convinced of the hopelessness of self- salvation but still clings to the delusion that he shall be able somehow he knows not how to deliver himself from ruin when you shall have hunted the man out of this you will then meet with a new difficulty which is described in the second text finding there no hope in himself the man draws the unwarrantable conclusion that there is no hope for him in God. [00:59:36]

This well pictures the pursuit of men after satisfaction in Earthly thing they will hunt the peers of wealth they will travel the pathways of Fame they will dig into the minds of knowledge they will exhaust themselves in the deceitful Delights of sin and finding them all to be vanity and emptiness they will become sore perplexed and disappointed but they will still continue their fruitless search wearied with the greatness of their way they will still stagger forward under the influence of spiritual Madness and though there be no result to be reached except that of everlasting disappointment yet they press forward with as much ardor as if a full Assurance of success sustained their Spirits. [00:48:15]

It is surprising that in an age which was supposed to be one of thought and Common Sense men should so soon be dazzled f with the gy toys of romanism I Marvel at the childish processions the babism the eminate millenary the infantile nurser isms of Rome should have charms for reasonable men and women some of the churches during the past week would have made little children scream with delight they would have felt that they were in the prettiest nurseries and toy shops which they had ever seen oh age of folly in which men think to worship god with displays fit only for children's Sports. [00:11:13]

Does it not seem to you to be inconsistent with the character of the god of nature that he should have instituted A Plan of Salvation so singularly complicated and the the atrical as that which is nowadays taught us by priests nature is simple her Grandeur lies in her Simplicity if you walk in the fields of our own Happy Land or climb the lofty ranges of the Alps you are delighted with the beautiful Simplicity of nature in which there is an utter absence of everything meretricious showy and Theatrical everything has a practical design and even the colors of the flowers which are not without intent and design enable the plant to drink in certain rays of Light which shall best satisfy its need. [00:10:51]

The way of Salvation by works is clean contrary to that revealed in the Bible for if there be anything plain there this is plain by The Works of the law there shall no flesh living be justified for by the law is the knowledge of sin the way of Salvation by works is a proud rebellious way by which man hopes to avoid humiliating himself before his God how should the Lord bestow his favor upon the man who refuses to trust in his own Dear Son shall the Lord yield to save men and yet let them remain proud and boastful shall he save a man who refuses to owe that salvation to Divine Mercy. [00:20:06]

The reason for salvation lies not in my repenting but in Christ's sufferings not in my renunciation of sin but in Christ's having borne my sin in his own body on the tree oh that by God's grace I may have done with relying upon anything that comes from myself the idea of trying to repent in order to save yourself by it is so ridiculous that it is sometimes reminded me of the old story of the Dutchman who having no family but having a great many cousins CS left his estate in this way all the cousins were to meet in the town hall on a certain day and whosoever could cry for him first and could honestly say he wept out of Sorrow for his death should have the estate. [00:22:18]

There is no hope for you in yourself but there is is hope for you in him whom God has provided to be the savior of such as you are hopelessness inself is what we want to bring you to but hopelessness in itself and especially in connection with God would be a sin from which we would urge you to escape if you are sitting down in despair I want to speak to you first of the god of Hope dear friend there is that in God father son and spirit which may remove your fears so that you need never utter a single doubting word again you are saying I am full of sin that is true and you are much Fuller of sin than you think you are. [00:28:02]

The Holy Spirit helpeth our infirmity though we know not what to pray for as we ought yet he teaches us to pray it is true you are Darkness but then he is your light it is true you are naturally dead but the holy spirit gives us life and the light of God is the holy spirit as he shows himself to you it is clear that you can do nothing without that spirit that should make you despair of self but you can do everything with that Spirit now lift that eye of thine which he is already taught to weep lift that up to the throne and say my father if I may dare to call thee by that name help me to trust thy son. [00:36:28]

I had to remind you that you were hopeless bankrupts and could not pay a farthing in the pound but I have to assure you that he has paid all believer's debts I had to tell you that you were all so evil in his sight that in yourselves considered you never could be accepted but I have now to say on the other hand that every believer is so clean and fair after being washed in jesus' blood that he is without spot or wrinkle or any such thing away ye brok consistence oh for the hammer of God to dash you into shivers but come come come ye thirsty ones to the ever-flowing overflowing Fountain here is nothing stinted here is no shortness of Supply no illiberality of gift come as you are the fountain floweth freely and richly for you. [00:45:00]

Do thou not know poor sinner thou who believest in Jesus this morning do thou not know the news then I will tell thee a secret do thou not know that if thou now prostrates thyself at the foot of the cross Thou Art God's chosen Chen one thy name is engraven on the hand of Jesus on the heart of God before the day star knew its place all planets ran their round before the Primeval Darkness was pierced by the sun's first Ray thou was dear to the heart of deity Thou Art his elect his beloved one and do thou not know that the mountains May depart and the hills be removed but the cover of his love shall never depart from thee neither shall his grace be removed sayith the Lord who this morning has manifested his Mercy towards thee. [00:46:14]

Be thou of good courage angels are singing Heaven is rejoicing over Thee the church on Earth is glad concerning thee and one day when the Great Shepherd shall appear thou also shalt appear with him in glory and all this for thee poor helplessly ruined sinner helpless in thyself but saved in Christ Jesus may God add a blessing to this simple testimony this morning and his shall be the praise amen. [00:47:00]