Appeal
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seek the company of the wise, or are you willing to choose worldly
associates, companions who fear not God and obey not the gospel?
Are your recreations such as to impart moral and spiritual vigor?
Will they lead to purity of thought and action? Impurity is today
widespread, even among the professed followers of Christ. Passion
is unrestrained; the animal propensities are gaining strength by indul-
gence, while the moral powers are constantly becoming weaker. Many
are eagerly participating in worldly, demoralizing amusements which
God’s word forbids. Thus they sever their connection with God and
rank themselves with the pleasure lovers of the world. The sins that
destroyed the antediluvians and the cities of the plain exist today—not
merely in heathen lands, not only among popular professors of Chris-
tianity, but with some who profess to be looking for the coming of
the Son of man. If God should present these sins before you as they
appear in His sight, you would be filled with shame and terror.
And what has caused this alarming condition? Many have accepted
the theory of the truth who have had no true conversion. I know
whereof I speak. There are few who feel true sorrow for sin, who
have deep, pungent convictions of the depravity of the unregenerate
nature. The heart of stone is not exchanged for a heart of flesh. Few
are willing to fall upon the Rock and be broken.
No matter who you are or what your life has been, you can be saved
only in God’s appointed way. You must repent; you must fall helpless
on the Rock, Christ Jesus. You must feel your need of a physician and
of the one only remedy for sin, the blood of Christ. This remedy can
be secured only by repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord
Jesus Christ. Here the work is yet to be begun by many who profess to
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be Christians and even to be ministers of Christ. Like the Pharisees
of old many of you feel no need of a Saviour. You are self-sufficient,
self-exalted. Said Christ: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners
to repentance.” The blood of Christ will avail for none but those who
feel their need of its cleansing power.
What surpassing love and condescension, that when we had no
claim upon divine mercy, Christ was willing to undertake our redemp-
tion! But our great Physician requires of every soul unquestioning
submission. We are never to prescribe for our own case. Christ must
have the entire management of will and action.