Supreme Things; In Their Practical Relations

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1889 edition. Excerpt: ...straitest to many. How strait it was made for the rich young man whose case was so peculiar that he had to be told to go and sell all that he had and give to the poor, if he would have treasure in heaven! How strait it was made for Paul; how much of present honor and worldly prospects he had to give up in order to become a Christian! All the disciples in that hating and persecuting age--under what severe conditions was their discipleship offered to them and accepted! They had to take up the cross and confess Christ before men and hold fast to that confession in face of shame and want and perpetual harassment and almost certain martyrdom. But had there been in those days no Pilate and no Herod and no Nero of a Caesar; had there been no intolerant and intolerable scribes and Pharisees, to frown on Christians and hurry them away to dungeons and crosses--still we find in the very nature of Christ's teachings abundant reason to believe that many a man of settled habits and strong passions must have laid himself out in great and sore struggles ere becoming a Christian. The process brings tears and groans from strong men now; fevered days and restless nights come and go and ache away till men are bowed and pallid as with sickness; such wretched anguish and wrenching of soul are the much tribulation through which some still enter into the kingdom of God. So men now break up the tiles that may place a palsied man before Christ. So the blind and the lame of the present day grope and totter through many a hard and weary league, and at the expense of many a sore stumble and concussion, into the presence of Him who cures and saves them. And the Book will have it that there is nothing to complain of in all this. The conditions on which sinful souls can find...