An After-Meeting Talk by Rev. W.H. Aitken. FAITH OR FEELING.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 295, 1 September 1888, Page 6

An Aft er-Meeting Talk by Rev. W.H. Aitken.

FAITH OR FEELING.

Hovr shall I direct those of you who are seeking a present salvation ? I would like to press upon you the importance of getting the master settled aCovce, If you put off its settlement, and endeavour to be satisfied with more conviebions and desires, these onvietions and desires will evaporate and cave your heart harder and further from God than before. I think I can best give- you a little help by telling you ari incident that once occurred in my own ministry, and which has been a greab help to many since. In tho first mission 1 ever conducted, the Lord was plea&ed to give us very considerable blessing. On the last night I preached from the te,xt, 'Turn you to the strong hold, ye piifsoners of hope,' and, I urged strongly upon my hearers the, necessity of yielding, to conviction, and not trifling with it.. Next morning, after. I came down tb broakfast — I was starting for London in a lew hours — there' was a ring at the front door bell, and a young rap of about twentyone years of age' sent in his card and a message that he wanted to see me. 1 knew nothing of him thenj but learned something ,of his history ' afterwards. His f-tory was to this effect : — lfe was the spn'of evangelical "clergyman. Be'had jbcen', brought \\\i in familiarity with Compel truth. He 'had'never embraced 1 it, However ;' ho' had 'gbtl'^nlo bad company, hacl fallen into evil habit's, led' ti profligate life', and at last run, dwdy^rora'h'is'hbme. ' He left; the country," and'f{fteL i< 'a long',; weary j liedrt-breaking 'seaVcJi, Iris 'father'liad discovered^ him in 1 dndof the back' streets of Paris almost' in a' i 'starving condition. 'He Syas , brought home ' somewhat iinclor a ' cloud, 'and' occupied at

thai; time a position' very much inferior to what he' was .entitled by his unusual talonts. ; • • • - • ; I went into the room where he was stancU ing, and shoolchands with himi ■ I noticed that ho was* trembling alii over and could hardly command Mr thoughts. „,At last he said: 'Mr Ait ken, do you remembcL 1 that last ' night you said that e^ cry time the Spirit 'strove with us, and we- did not yield, our hearts became of necessity harder than if we had never been striven with at all. Is that so V 1 said it, must certainly be bo. Wo cannot hardon our 'hearts against (God's commands with im'"puhity.' ' Whatsoever a man sowebh, that ; shall he- also reap.' Jf we sow hardness of heart we shall i cap it. 'Oh,' ho said, 'I feel ynur words were true," — as I listened he burst into tears,— * chat is what I have been doing all ray life long. Over and over and over again God has striven with me and drawn' me, and 1 havoiesibted. And as J listened last night 1 fell, This is my last chance : if 1 do not got a blessing now I shall ne\er.gct it.' ile Sciid ho had hardly slopt all night. He had got up in tho niorning and walked three miles in the -wrong direction in tho pouring rain ; then ho had walked three miles in the opposite direction; and T .suppose he had walked altogether eight miles in the rain, determined to try'and get some help. When a man is thoroughly in earnest he does not need to be invited to stay (o an atter-meet-ing. Poor follow, ho was thoroughly in earnest. J said, ' What is. i& to be ?' ' Oh,' he leplied, ' 1 have made up my mind that if salvation is to bo had, by GocUs help I will have it. 'Thank God 1 Yon will have it then, for it i- to be had.' He was very much overcome, and as my object was not to e\cito him, but to cnj dcavour to bung the truth to bear upon his troubled heart, ] loft him alone for about ten minutes that he might ie»aiu hi« composite. Then J knelt down bc-ido him, and alter a little com creation, I prayed. At the ond of the prayer I said, 'My bi other, do you believe that Jcus Christ has really done all that was necessaiy in order to bring salvation within yom reach ?' ' Yes, Ido believe that ; but Ido not feel anything - 1 do not feel any change.' 'I did not a?k you about jour feeling ; do you belie\o that Chi ibt has done all that was neccssan for your sahation V 'Oh yes, 1 believe that.' '"Well, it Christ has done all that was necessary, are you prepared vow to trust yourself to what He has done ?' tie was silent ior a few moments. I repeated the question. He replied, that he did not feel as it he could trust. I said, '1 am not dealing with your feeling, but with your will. Will you now, as a responsible moral ajrent, tiusfc yonr-elf to what Christ has done fpr<>ou '!' At last he said, 'I will ; but I do, , not feel any difference.' I said, .'l, do .«ot-ask you what you feel : 1 simply want to know what your moral attitude towards God is-. Are you now rje&ting on what Chri&t has done ?' ' Yes,' he said, 'lam ; Ido trust Him.' 'Veiy well. Now look quite away fiom your feelings while I a&k you a question. Where is condemnation to come trom for a poor guilty sinner who deserves condemnation, but who now tm&ls himself to Jesus and w hat He has done ? My dear friend, who can condemn you ?' He was silent. 'Come now,' I said, 'let us get this matter settled. The s-oonor you rejoice in your immunity from condemnation the better. Lot us endeavour to find out whci-e condemnation is to come from. Let us go right round the universe, and see if we can discover any quarter from which it can meet your soul while you trust in Jesus. We will not put it as a rhetorical liomish, but as a plain, calm, logical inquiry — Who can condemn this poor dinner that trusts himsclt to Jesut. V Is there a devil in hell that can condemn thib poor soul ?' ' No,' he said, ' devils have not got the power.' 'Is thetea man in the wide woild that can condemn this poor sinner who trusts himself to Jesus?' 'Xo,' he b.iid, 'man is not n:y •judge; I am not afiaid ot man.' ' Thank God for that: Is there an angel in glory that can condemn this poor sinner f 'No ; Cod has not commit! Ed the world into the hand of angels, thcrefoie no angel can condemn the man who trusts in Jesus. ' ' IS'ow there is only one other quarter. Look right up into the face of the eternal God, and dare to fay, "Oh, Thou evei lasting God, can&t Thou condemn my guilty soul now that 1 put my trust in Jesus ?' "' Thcio was a silence. Then he drew a deep long breath, and suddenly raising his face, and clasping his hands ho uttered the words, ' Thank ( led !' In another moment he threw his arms round my neck, and exclaimed, ' 1 see it ! J see itl' From that day he was a changed character, and has been the means of turning ' many to righteousness. He is still living a Christian life, and exercising a, Christian influence.