The Simple Power of the Word
THE camp-meeting had been several days in progress. The preaching had been strong and searching. The law had had its place with the Gospel, or, rather, in the Gospel; for apart from the law there is no Gospel. The Spirit of God had tipped the arrows of the law with living light which revealed the exceeding sinfulness of sin and the selfishness of the human heart. Men saw themselves lost, hopelessly, humanly lost. But Christ the Healer, the Saviour from sin, the Restorer, had also been lifted up, and souls burdened with sins were finding Him. They came to the cross with the crushing load of iniquity; they left it with songs of praise upon their lips. They came to the meeting clothed in the filthy rags of their own righteousness; they cast them aside and were clothed in the sinless garments of salvation. The clear light of conviction revealed to all their sin, and all alike were humbled before the Master. Sins were confessed, such as were public to the public, in the open, and such as had to do with individuals to the ones wronged, and all to God. Faith in His promise grasped the sequel, "Whoso confesseth and forsaketh" his sins "shall obtain mercy." There was one man into whose heart the probe of conviction went mercilessly deep. He saw himself a horribly repulsive sinner, and felt himself without hope, one for whom there was no forgiveness. He had committed the unpardonable sin; there was no hope for him. He saw nothing but a black, sin-stained past, and a hopeless, impenetrable future. His friends who had found Christ pleaded with him, but their words had no effect. Yet the preacher felt that light must break, else why the conviction? But the day closed with the soul in despair; what would the morrow bring to that soul chained by the power of darkness? Would the preacher leave him there? He could not. He felt that God must give power to snatch that soul from the demons of despair. Some retired to their tents to sleep; others to praise God for deliverance; some to pray, among whom was the preacher, weary, yet hoping that God, who had given some victories, would give more and greater; that He whose glory brought conviction would reveal to the despairing soul the greater glory of justification. What the morrow brought forth we will tell next week. THE Sabbath of the Lord can not be destroyed by men any more than can Christ, its Author. It may be ridiculed, rejected, trampled upon, crucified between two thieves, and the devil and his allies may rejoice as it seemingly perishes and is buried under the rubbish of tradition, locked in its creed-bound tomb with papal keys: but it has in it "the power of an endless life." It does not need human laws to revive it, guard it, or keep it from desecration. It is above man's power. Its foundation is God's eternal throne.