{"1": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3103", "width": "2308", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0001.jp2"}, "2": {"fulltext": "O Ul^ri\\n008 891^10\\nlyoNOO dO Auvyan", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0002.jp2"}, "3": {"fulltext": "H JBoof\\\\\\nIbelpful\\nfor\\nChristian\\nXiving.\\n^f ^C\\n4.\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2\u00e2\u0080\u00a2\u00e2\u0080\u00a2\u00e2\u0080\u00a2..on\\nBY THE\\nREV. L, M. ZIMMERMAN,\\nAUTHOR OF\\nHOW TO BE HAPPY WHEN MARRIED\\nPEARLS OF COMFORT FROM TENNYSON S IN MEMOKIAM.\\nTHE.LITTLE GR4VE.V DAILY BREAD FOR DAILY HUNGER.*\\nSUNSHINE. PATHS THAT CROSS. THE FAMILY.\\nTHE WEDDING TOKEN, and YVONNE.", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0003.jp2"}, "4": {"fulltext": "b\\n;OPIES RECEIVED,\\nLibrary of Congre\u00c2\u00ab\u00c2\u00ab\u00c2\u00bb b\\nOffice of tll9 YV\\nRegister of Copyrfghtik\\n54288\\nCOPYRIGHT 1899,\\nBY\\nREV. L. M. ZIMMERMAN.\\nALL RIGHTS RESERVED.\\n\u00c2\u00ab\u00c2\u00abcowo copy.\\nPress of Pearre E. Crowl Co., Balto", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0004.jp2"}, "5": {"fulltext": "|{^retace.\\nWe ore all Pilgrims in this world, for\\nthis is not our home/\\nHeaven is the goal toward which\\nevery thoughtful one aspires. Loved\\nones have gone before, and that the\\njourney may be made all the more suc-\\ncessful by those who yet remain, this\\nlittle book is sent forth\\nMay it prove a guiding light, a help-\\ning hand, a kind word to many weary\\ntravelers, that they may all the better\\n**run with patience the race that is set\\nbefore them\\nf The Author,", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0005.jp2"}, "6": {"fulltext": "CONTENTS.\\nt^% 5,^*\\nChapter. Page.\\nI. Flight From the City of Destruction, 5.\\nII. The Wicket Gate, 15.\\nin. Loosing the Burden at the Cross, 24.\\nIV. Valley of Humiliation and Conflict with ApoUyon, 34.\\nV. VaUey of Death and Break of Day, 42.\\nVI. Vanity Fair, 52.\\nVn. Buy the Truth,^ 60.\\nVm. Doubting Castle, 69.\\nIX. Atheism Scepticism Infidelity, 78.\\nX. Over the River into the Celestial City, 87.", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0006.jp2"}, "7": {"fulltext": "FROM THE\\nCITY OF DESTRUCTION\\nTO THE\\nCELESTIAL CITY.\\nCHAPTER I.\\nFLIGHT PROM THE CITY OP DESTRUCTION.\\nTHE book, and the only book, next to the Bible is Bunyan s\\nPilgrim s Progress. That book brought me to the true\\nlight, is doubtless the experience of many of the followers\\nof God to-day. Its author, like many great men, sprang- from a very\\nsinful youth for Bunyan was a most depraved boy. He was so pro-\\nfane that even a bad woman of his native place, charg-ed him with\\nbeing so very wicked that he would corrupt all with whom he came\\nin contact. His first reformation seems to have beg un with his mar-\\nriage to a godly woman. Like him, many men have been made g-reat\\nby such a marriage and it would be well for many others of the\\nworld to do likewise that is, marry, but marry in the Lord. A\\ng-odly wife, by her influence and example, can very often make of a\\nworldly man, a man of God. Gradually, thereafter, Bunyan began\\nto lop off one branch of sin after another, striving each day to be-\\ncome just a little better. It was not, however, until he overheard\\nthe conversation of two women, who were conversing about righteous\\nness, that he discovered he was merely cutting- off sinful branches\\nwithout uprooting the tree of sin itself, in his soul. The conversa-\\ntion of those two women led him to serious reflection, and, seeing", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0007.jp2"}, "8": {"fulltext": "wherein he was weak, and learning of the true source of strengtli, he\\nthereafter turned to the Fount of all blessings, Jesus, and became a\\ntrue disciple of Christ.\\nHow unfortunate it would have been, had those two women\\ntalked along- the line of many gossipers, in dissecting the character\\nof such as had been trying to serve God to the best of their ability,\\nor had found fault with God, or spoken evil of the church and reli-\\ngion. Had they been such gossipers or faultfinders, Bunyan would\\ndoubtless never have written Pilgrim s Progress. It simply goes to\\nshow the importance of guarding well our speech, for conversation\\nis often heard through the wall, as when Bunyan overheard the two\\nwomen. You may be riding along in the street car speaking evil\\nof a person, while just opposite sits some one drinking in every word\\nyou utter. You may be standing on the street corner gossiping about\\nyour next door neighbor, while in the adjoining house, seated at\\nan open window, sits some one waiting to peddle out and spread the\\npoisonous words you are uttering. You may be seated in the church\\ntalking about a member of the same congregation, while before or\\nbehind you may be sitting, unnoticed, a listener only too eager to\\nherald abroad your conversation, causing mischief between friend\\nand friend. When you least expect it, the conversation will be heard,\\neither for good or evil.\\nHaving thus been led to turn to a higher life through the godly\\nconversation of the two women, Bunyan became a most ardent fol-\\nlower of Jesus Christ, and preached the Gospel of glad tidings. But,\\nliving in an age of martyrdom, he was soon persecuted for his good\\nworks, and, in all, spent twelve long years in prison. This was a\\nsore disappointment to him, for he had planned to do so much for\\nhis Master, and now all his hopes seemed to vanish. Lodged in his\\nplace of confinement, he longed for some way of serving his Lord, and\\nin the words of Job, he doubtless exclaimed, Oh that my words\\nwere written, that they were printed in a book, that they were en-\\ngraven with an iron pen in the rock forever. And then as if by in-\\nspiration, (for it would seem that the book is largely the work of in-\\nspiration) God sent an angel in the hand of the author was placed\\na pen, and Bunyan wrote Pilgrim s Progress.", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0008.jp2"}, "9": {"fulltext": "Thus his imprisonment proved to him a great blessing; for with-\\nout the affliction, he would never have had this great inspiration\\ngiven unto him. It is in like manner that the hours of imprisonment\\nare often blessings in disguise. Without his confinement, Paul\\nwould never have given unto the world his richest Epistles. He\\nmight have preached parts of them to a few people, but they would\\nnever have been handed down to generation after generation. Being\\nimprisoned, however, he wrote his thoughts and they were scattered\\nabroad to feed thousands upon thousands. We often object to the\\nthorn, but while we complain of it let us remember that at the very\\nspot where there is a thorn, therQ is also a rose blooming; and as\\nthe thorn protects the rose not only from the storm but from the\\npromiscuous touch of every passer-by, so the thorns of life may oc-\\ncasionally hurt us, yet at the same time they protect us and keep us\\nfrom the violent stoi-ms of sin and temptation, preserving thus the\\nvery flower of piety, purity and character for the great garden of God\\nat last in heaven. Otherwise many of the present blooming flowers\\nIn that heavenly garden, would long since have been plucked by evil\\nhands, trampled under foot and cast into outer darkness. While in\\nprison Bunyan received from God the rare blessing and privilege of\\ngiving to the world precious thoughts from precious leaves of the\\ngreat book of life s experiences.\\nIn his dream he beheld\\nA man in rags\\nThis at once suggests the picture of the unregenerate for their\\nstate is represented as filthy rags in the sight of God. True, very\\nmany attempt to make a covering for their nakedness, but their efforts\\nare as unsuccessful as were the efforts of Adam and Eve when they\\nendeavored to cover themselves with fig leaves. One may hold a\\nlofty position as a great ruler, and think thereby to be great, but un-\\nless he be a child of God, washed in the blood of the Lamb, his\\ngreatness is as filthy rags in the sight of God. Another may try\\nto clothe himself with the robe of self-righteousness, but unless that\\nrobe be made whiter than snow through the atoning mercies of Jesus\\nChrist, that man is as unwelcome in the sight of God as the sinner\\nthat walks the streets for unless the righteousness exceed that of", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0009.jp2"}, "10": {"fulltext": "the Scribes and Pharisees it is worthless. Another may try to weave\\nfor self a cloak of good works, but we are not saved by mere works\\nof righteousness.\\nAll such cloaks are but ati rags in the eyes of God, and man\\nstands condemned for his sins. Sin from its very nature clothes a\\nman with rags, both literally and spiritually. The prodigal could\\nnot travel many years in the way of sin before he was clothed in\\nrags in the true sense of the term and like him, many men and wo-\\nmen are walking our streets in rags, because they have been traveling\\nalong the paths of transgression. It costs a good hit to be a sinner,\\nand when the money is all spent, then all that sin gives to man is\\nrags for his body and husk for his food. The very counte-\\nnance of the sinner makes him known. Place ten good, pure, honest,\\nupright young men or women together, and beside them place ten who\\nKve of the world, who find satisfaction in eating, drinking and being\\nmerry, and you will readily be enabled to tell who are the good, and\\nwho are the bad. The very eye, the expression will bespeak the\\ncharacter of each. Compare the countenances of men and women\\nin prisons and dens of iniquity, with those of men and women in\\nchurches, and you will have many living witnesses and proofs of the\\nwages of sin as they appear in the wicked, while the righteous show\\nby their very countenance that they are good and pure, for they have\\nbeen cleansed and clothed in white robes of righteousness the old\\nman is put off with his rags, and the new man put on with the\\nrobe of righteousness.\\nThe man as seen by Bunyan was not only clothed in rags, but\\nhe stood in a place with\\nI/is face from his own house.\\nThat is the position of the man who is disgusted with the sins of this\\nworld and who is resolved to seek something better. It is the attitude\\nof the man who starts out to follow Christ. He is leaving all to follow\\nJesus; and unless we forsake all we are not worthy ^3f being called\\nChrist s disciples. Not that the christian is expected to give up a\\nlegitimate business because he has become a christian, for it is just\\nthen that he is rather enjoined to be diligent in business. God\\nnever intended His followers should be lazy men, or even men and\\nwomen of leisure.\\n8", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0010.jp2"}, "11": {"fulltext": "Christianity does not lock up the doors of a\\nman s place of business, nor does it say to\\nman he must not be concerned about the\\nsame, but it does mean that man shall not\\nmake his business his God. It does mean\\nthat business shall be second, and that the\\nKingdom of God shall be sought first. It\\ndoes mean that business shall be honestly\\ncarried on for the glory of God. Unhappily,\\ntoo many are trying to follow God with one\\nfoot, whirle with the other they are endeavor-\\ning to follow the devil, but such method of\\ntravel is impossible. You cannot travel two\\nroads that lead in opposite directions at the same time, nor can we\\nserve God and mammon at the same time. To follow Christ means\\nself-denial of time, money, pleasure, and of all, making thus the chief\\nend of life the glorifying of God.\\nIf many were to stop and ponder the path they are traveling,\\nthey would discover danger, for many are on dangerous soil. Were\\nmany of the professed followers of God, in His church at large, to\\ndrop dead suddenly in the district they are traveling, there would be\\na question as to where they belonged. The church would come for-\\nward and claim them, but on the other hand the devil would put forth\\nhis claims, demanding them on the ground that they had fallen upon\\nhis territory. Manj^ of the world s pleasure-seekers, and many of the\\nMarthas in the homes cumbered solely about much serving with-\\nout regard to the one thing needful, and many of the business\\npeople at large who are seeking everything else before they consider\\nthe demands of religion, would do well to reflect for a moment,\\nwhether or not they are leaving all* to follow Christ; whether or\\nnot they have their face from their house, or whether they are\\nnot turned with their faces toward the world.\\nToo many are like Lot s wife, they are fleeing from the wrath\\nto come, yet worried about what they have left behind. With long-\\nings they look back, losing sight of the prize that is set before them,\\nand in their thrist for the things of this life, they lose the blessing of", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0011.jp2"}, "12": {"fulltext": "heaven, and fall a prey into the hands of the enemy. Let ^o of sin,\\nbreak loose from the clutches of the adversary, and with face turned\\ntoward Christ, and eyes fixed upon Him, run with patience the race\\nthat is set before you, ever looking unto Jesus as the Author of your\\nfaith. With such following- after Christ, all the other needful things\\nof life shall be added. The poorest kind of economy is that which\\ntakes away from God, for while God can live without man, man can-\\nnot live without God, and with God on our side, even the littles\\nshall be blessed.\\nCheap religion is as worthless as it is cheap, and no greater mis-\\ntake can be made by any one than by trying to see how little it costs\\nto get to heaven. Many seem to think they will do just as little as\\nthey possibly can for Christ, both in service and gifts, instead of do-\\ning all they possibly can. Only the faithful servant will reach\\nheaven to receive the plaudit well done. The fruitful tree is a\\ngreat blessing to the hungry and weary traveler, but the barren fig\\ntree, wnth its deceptive properties, a curse; accordingly such as pro-\\nfess to be followers of God, unless they are as the fruitful tree to feed\\nothers and bless them, then they will be rather of the barren fig tree\\norder, to be a stumbling block, a curse, a hindrance to the cause of\\ntheir Master. Some christians tell the truth when they sing, Noth-\\ning in my hands I bring, for they are trying to get to heaven\\nempty handed on flowery beds of ease. Even were it possible\\nfor such ever to enter heaven, they would feel most uncomfortable\\nthere to look around and see others with their arms full of the golden\\ngrain gathered for the Master, and they themselves, empty handed.\\nIn his further description of the man as seen in his dream, Bun-\\nyan speaks of him as having\\nA burden upon his back!\\nThis is the condition of the man who is under conviction. The\\nwreckless sinner who heedlessly goes on sinning without any thought,\\nfor a time feels perhaps little of this burden, but when once man\\nstops and considers the folly of his way, then he is made to feel the\\nweight of sin. His conscience condemns him, and he feels his guilt\\nin the sight of God. Such as consider, are made aware of their guilt,\\nand are conscious of the burden that rests upon their souls. If only", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0012.jp2"}, "13": {"fulltext": "more would stop for a time and seriousiy ponder, they would see\\ntheir mistakes, and would turn from evil doing-. Such are likely to\\ncount the cost of sin, and seeing- that the wages of sin is death.\\nwill feel the awful weight of the same. But even those who do not\\nseriously consider, sooner or later are made to feel the burden of siu,\\nfor at first the weight may be comparatively light, but gradually it\\ng-rows heavier until at last it becomes a burden. How many, like\\nSamson, have walkedoff with the gates of sin at first! But, in the\\nend, the strongest have been overpowered by the burden, and like\\nthat giant in strength, were crushed by the ruins of a life not well\\nspent. Sin may be light for a tima and some have thereby boasted\\nof its pleasures, but the eyes of many are opened when too late.\\nShorn of their strength, they are left to tread in the mill of despair\\nand shame, a laughing stock to the world, and a misery to self. The\\nsins of an evening weigh most heavily upon the soul at night, as the\\ntransgressor lies down in his I oom alone to sleep. His pillow seems\\nfull of thorns, while his heart is weary and heavy laden with the\\nburden of sin. It is verily ti-ue that the way of the transgressor is\\nhard.\\nHappily for the man, seen by Bunyan in his dreams, he had\\nA book 171 his hand\\nwhich was God s word. This book told him of the light and the life\\nthat Christ came into this world to give unto man. If people would\\nread more generally the Bible, there would not be so many in dark-\\nness and sin. The Bible is a Light to lead souls out of darkness, and\\npoint them to Jesus as the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of\\nthe world, but how shall men know of the Way and the Truth and\\nthe Life, unless they hear and read God s Word Faith cometh by\\nhearing, and the Bible is the lamp unto our feet, and light unto\\nour pathway.\\nIt was under circumstances of this kind that Bunyan describes\\nman awakened by the Divine Light of God s Word and seeing the\\ndangerous ground upon which he was standing, the awakened sinner\\ninformed his wife of his unrest and desire for the true Light. But\\nalas, like many other foolish and unbelieving wives, she only ridi-\\nculed the idea of her husband, and plead with him to remain where\\nII", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0013.jp2"}, "14": {"fulltext": "he was, in the City of Destruction for to her there was no danger,\\nas she thought. The wife can do much toward the making of her\\nhusband, a follower of either the Lord or the devil. If the wife is\\nnot religiously inclined, and if she be concerned only about the home,\\nshe cannot expect her husband to be a very faithful christian. Hence\\nmany wives by their example are virtually drawing their husbands\\nback into the world. But woe is that one who thus sins away her day\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2of grace, while at the same time she, perhaps, keeps another soul\\naway from the fold of Christ\\nBut the man referred to by Bunyan was wise in th-it when it came\\nto a matter of his own soul s welfare, he would rather forsake his wife\\nthan live in sin, and appear a condemned criminal at the bar of God.\\nAlthough one member of the family may be an unbeliever, yet that\\nis no reason why another should deny God and sell his soul to the\\ndevil. When it is a matter of the salvation of the soul, each one is\\npersonally responsible for his or her own redemption.\\nBetter, by far, to do as did Bunyan s Christian, when putting his\\nlingers to his ears that he might not hear the Syren voice he ran\\ncrying,\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0Life, life, elernal life,\\nfor he had received the commission to flee from the wrath to come,\\nwhich warning is given to every unregenerate man and woman.\\nNo one ha^ an excuse for not having been warned, for the Gos-\\npel cail has gone forth in this christian land of ours, so that every\\none who has had any desire to be saved, could be if he would. It is\\nnot true that many are in sici because no man careth for their\\nsouls, for the preached word, and the written word, all tell of God s\\nlove, and admonish the sinner to flee from the wrath of God.\\nEvery effoi-t is being put forth to reach the masses, and whoso-\\never will, may come. Even the Spirit and the Bride say, Come.\\nAnd it is enjoined upon all who have heard, to say, Come.\\nBut for fear some one might not hear the call, it is written, Let\\nhim that is athirst come. But, lest even then there be one who\\nmight claim that he personally had not been invited to come to the\\nMaster, it is written, Whosoever will, may come. That means\\nevery sinner. If you as a reader are not yet saved, then, it means", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0014.jp2"}, "15": {"fulltext": "you persoually. liut while the call is so general, yet, it is impera-\\ntive, for there is great danger in delay. To-morrow may be too late\\nto begin to start on the journey for heaven. This very night thy\\nsoul may be required of thee. The wrath of God is often nearer\\nthan is expected, and many have thought it afar off, when the\\nbreath of fever laid them low upon the sick couch, and before they\\nhad time to make their peace with Him, they have been ushered un-\\nprepai ed into His very presence, to receive the doleful sentence,\\nDepart from me. for I never knew you. What an awful condition\\nfor the soul of the dying not to be saved How bitter the lamenta-\\ntion of such, The harvest is past, the summer ended, and I am not\\nsaved. How sad that bitter wail, Almost, but losti\\n1,^", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0015.jp2"}, "16": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0016.jp2"}, "17": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER 11.\\nTHE WICKET GATE.\\nHAPPILY for Christian, he was met by a kind friend who di-\\nrected him in the right way, so that he once more could re-\\nnew his journey with courage and delight. From his sad\\nexperience of allowing himself to be lured from the right path by a\\nman of the world, he became suspicious of any that might meet him\\nalong the road, and he turned back to the right way in great haste^\\nfor he realized that he was on forbidden ground he also refused to-\\nlook either to the right or to the left, lest he might step aside from-\\nthe proper course.\\nIt would indeed be well if more would profit, not only by the sad\\nexperience of Bunyan s Christian, but even by their own, for all who\\nhave stepped aside from the path of righteousness have discovered\\nthat they are on forbidden and dangerous ground, as well as that they\\nhave done that which is harmful to them, and the quicker they get\\nback into the way of the Lord, the better. Not only let such way-\\nward ones return, but return in haste and fear, looking neither to\\nthe right nor to the left for things of the world, but hasten back inta-\\nthe way the Lord would have them go.\\nHaving safely reached the path, Christian soon came to\\nThe gate\\nto which he had been directed. That gate\\nwas to represent Christ as the only way,\\nthe door. Says Christ, I am the door;\\nby me if any man enter in, he shall be\\nsaved, and shall go in and out, and find\\npasture. Again He says, I am the way\\nand no man cometh unto the Father, but\\nby me. Unhappily there are many who\\ntry other ways of getting to heaven. One\\n15", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0017.jp2"}, "18": {"fulltext": "says, I observe the Golden Rule as the guide of my faith, and that\\nla good enough for any one. Another says, I have never wronged\\nany one, and of what have I to repent I have ever lived a good,\\nmoral life, and that is all that is needful. Another tries the way of\\nthe Formalist, and thinks that by reading his Bible and Prayer Book,\\nhe will get to heaven. These are, however, not the gates to glory\\nthat God speaks of. They may all be good as helps to glory, but\\nChrist, and Christ only, is the hope of glory. He is the Way, the\\nOate, and no one can enter heaven by any other way.\\nOne of the conditions for admission at this Gate is to knock,\\nus did Christian. Although God knows what we need before we make\\na request of Him, yet, we are commanded to ask if we would re-\\nceive. Some people are anxious for certain things, but they are too\\nproud to ask for them. They may throw all manner of hints, but are\\nnot willing to openly ask. This is the way with many who come to\\nChrist for the pardon of their sins. They are desirous of receiving\\nthe forgiveness of their iniquity, but they make known their request\\nin such an obscure manner that the Lord Himself fails to recognize\\ntheir wishes. All manner of things are spoken of, and asked for,\\nsave the one thing needful. If the Lord would open the door with-\\nout their knocking, it might be acceptable with such persons, but\\nthey do not want to put themselves in the position of having to\\nknock and ask. But knocking and asking are not the only\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0essentials. Another requisite for passing through the Door of Mercy\\nis, confession. Christian said to the one who met him at the gate,\\nHere is a poor burdened sinner. That is the attitude that should\\ncharacterize every one that seeks the forgiveness of his sins for, if\\nwe confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and\\nto cleanse us from all unrighteousness, But here again too many\\n^re unwilling to acknowledge their sins. They will not admit having\\ndone wrong, and of course with such a spirit they cannot be peni-\\ntent, and without repentance there can be no forgiveness of sins for,\\nhow can God forgive sins, if man refuses to admit that he is a sinner\\nwho needs forgiveness\\nPride thus keeps many away from Christ, because they are not\\nvwilling to confess their errors. It is not a pleasant thing for one to\\ni6", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0018.jp2"}, "19": {"fulltext": "confess his wrong, and yet, it is the only way we can ever expect for-\\ngiveness.\\nA rather singular experience occurred to Christian as he was\\nabout to enter the Gate. He was taken by the hand and quickly\\npulled in through the open way, and when he asked to know the reason^\\nhe was told of a Castle near by, where dwelt one who was jealoils of\\nall who entered by way of the Gate, and to prevent such from en-\\ntering, would shoot forth arrows after them, if perchance he might\\nprevent the entrance. This is more or less the experience of every\\none who is about to pass through the Door of Mercy for Satan is the\\ngreat enem^^ ever seeking whom he may devour, and all manner\\nof darts are hurled to prevent the young and old from becoming fol-\\nlowers of the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. As long as men and\\nwomen live in and of the world, the devil does not annoy them but\\ngradually, blindly leads them on into the way that leadeth unto\\ndeath. But let any become conscious of their danger and ilee from\\nthe wrath to come. Let them knock at the Door of Mercy, and con-\\nfess their sins, then Satan at once applies his arts and skill in en-\\ndeavoring to lure such back, by promising them all manner of pleas-\\nure, and pointing out to them the hardships of a christian life. It is\\ndangerous, therefore, for any to be indiflferent or lurking in their ap-\\nproach anto the Lord, for unless there be a firm resolve to follow\\nafter the Lord, Satan will tempt such to delay until a more con-\\nvenient season, which, in all probability, will be never. To become\\na true follower of Christ one must be sincere, in earnest, seeking\\nLife, life, eternal life as the chief aim.\\nMany indeed, start out for heaven in company with others, but\\nat last enter heaven all alone. Because their friends grew lukewarm\\nand indifferent, and turned back again into the world, as did Pliable\\nwho followed Christian for a short journey, so, meeting with discour-\\nagements, many turn back. Alas, how often is this true in life?\\nMany husbands and wives starting for the heavenly home together\\nparted before reaching the end of the journey, one patiently running\\nthe race set before them, while the other grew weary in well doing,\\nand returned to the world, the flesh, and the devil. Oc, perhaps it\\nwas a brother and sister who started together at the altar, at the\\n17", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0019.jp2"}, "20": {"fulltext": "t-ime of their confirmation or profession of faith. For a short time\\nthey traveled tog-ether, but one or the other became careless and in-\\ndifferent, turning back to the place from whence they came, while the\\nother was left to go alone along the way to glory. Many thus start\\ntogether in churches, kneeling beside each other at the same altar,\\nprofessing Christ at the same time, but one by one of the number\\ndrifts away, and falls back into the world again, leaving the few\\nthat be saved to continue on in the good way they started. A call\\nof the roll in every church would disclose such facts, and what sad\\nfacts they are Thus, congregations, families, and friends, start to-\\ngether on the heavenly journey, yet how many are left to enter heaven\\nalone because others have renounced the faith by neglect and will-\\nful sins\\nHaving passed in through the Gate, Christian was pointed to\\nThe straight and narrow way\\n-and ordered to pursue it. After all, there is but one right way, and\\nthat road is straight and narrow. The way of the world is so\\nbroad that many go that way. It is so easy, that without effort\\nmany travel it. It requires prudence and effort to keep in the nar-\\nrow path that leads unto life everlasting, and for that reason it is\\n-written, Strive to enter, implying the effort required. A thousand\\nand one different paths cross and recross the narrow way and un-\\nless the pilgrim is watchful of his steps and attentive to the instruc-\\ntions given at the start, he will step aside from the right path into\\nthe way of sin and death. All along the way are Syren voices and\\ntemptations to lure the christian aside from that which is holy.\\nKeeping in the narrow way Christian finally came to a beauti-\\nful dwelling known as\\nThe house oj the Intrepreter.^^\\nThis was to represent the work of the Holy Spirit, in revealing to\\nman the things that make wise unto salvation, by awakening within\\nhim, not only the conviction of sin, but the danger of falling away\\nfrom grace.\\nIn the house of the Interpreter Christian was shown a room into\\n^hich was called a man who swept it. This created so very much\\n^ust, that Christian was almost choked. Then water was sprinkled\\ni8", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0020.jp2"}, "21": {"fulltext": "in the room and thne dust settled. This\\nclearly represented the futile effort of the\\nlaw to cleanse the soul of sin, and the need\\nof the Gospel of Love to wash and cleanse\\nit also illustrates the condition of many\\nwhose christian experience is most sorely\\nneg-lected. The soul might be represented\\nas having- different apartments, but un-\\nhappily, the parlor as in the house of\\nthe Interpreter, is frequently neglected.\\nThe very best part is allowed to become\\ncovered with the dust of neglect. Some\\nprofessors of religion think it sufficient if they serve Christ only in\\npart, retaining for their own use whatever they may deem advisable.\\nSuch persons but naturally reserve for themselves the best, the\\nparlor, while they dedicate to Christ the kitchen, the crumbs\\nand off-falls.\\nIt is no wonder that when the Lord comes to such and gives them\\na good sweeping by the Gospel of true consecration that the very\\ndust is such as to almost choke the poor unfortunate creatures,\\nfor in their slothfulness the dust has so accumulated that when once\\nthe Lord takes hold of them, they are surprised to see how dusty and\\ncorrupt have become their lives. No wonder that at death many\\nsuch quake, fear and tremble, since their condition is a miserable\\nillustration of their past neglect.\\nIn that same house of the Interpreter, Christian was further\\nshown another room in which sat two children, each one on a chair.\\nTheir names were respectively,\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0Passion and Patience.\\nThe one. Passion, was eager for every thing he could lay his hands\\non, while Patience sat willing to wait for the time when he was to re-\\nceive what belonged to him. It so happened, therefore, that at the\\ntime when Patience began to receive his portion of good things, then\\nPassion had consumed all his and had utterly nothing left. What a\\nrevelation of such as are concerned in this life only for the things\\nwhich satisfy for the present Many like Dives have their day of\\n19", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0021.jp2"}, "22": {"fulltext": "good things now, to the envy of others. They have every thing the\\nheart could possibly crave, and regardless Of the hereafter, they\\neat, drink and are merry, while others, who are looked upon as\\nless fortunate, have little more than the crumbs that fall from the\\nrich man s table. The man of the world has his good things now,\\nwhile the Christian is patiently waiting for his best to begin at the\\ntime when the man of the world has nothing left. The pleasures of\\nsin at best are but for a very short season,, and then, like the child\\nPassion, they in turn have anguish and remorse, while the good\\nthings that await the Christian are everlasting.\\nThe christian, therefore, needs to learn to be patient, and not\\ngrow weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap, if we\\nfaint not. While godliness is profitable unto all things, having-\\neven the promise of the life that now is, (for such as faithfully serve\\nGod are truly profited in this present life,) yet, the best is kept in\\nstore for the christian until the next life. The path of the just,\\naccordingly, does not only shine more and more as each day\\npasses by, but unto the perfect day, the day when the christian\\nshall realize the force of the words of the Psalmist, when he wrote,\\nsaying I shall be satisfied when I awake in thy likeness.\\nThere was still another room in the house of the Interpreter\\nthat greatly impressed Christian, for in it he saw a fire burning\\nbeside a wall, and although a man stood there pouring water on the\\nflame, yet, it burned higher and hotter. Upon investigation, how-\\never, it was discovered that unseen, just behind the wall, stood\\nanother who was quietly and constantly pouring oil into the fire.\\nThis is a forcible illustration of the manner in which the grace\\nof God works in the heart of man. While the grace is there as the\\ngift of God, yet Satan stands pouring upon it all manner of hin-\\ndrances, such as might put out the flames of love; kindled in the\\nheart. Once a christian, does not mean that the work is forever\\ndone, for there is need of constant attention lest the flres upon the\\naltar of the heart die out, and nothing but the dark ashes of a sinful\\nlife remain, instead. Too many seem to think that when once they\\nhave knelt at the altar, and there made a public profession of their\\nfaith in the Lord, that then all is done, and they have nothing more", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0022.jp2"}, "23": {"fulltext": "to do. As well say, when a young- man leaves College with his\\nDiploma, that then all his work is done, as to say that the mere\\nprofession of Christ concludes the christian s work. The diploma\\ndoes not make a man a Physician, Lawyer or Minister. When a man\\ngraduates from college he first begins his life s work. And so it is\\nwith young- converts they are only beginning- their work in the Mas-\\nter s Vineyard, and unless they are conscious of this fact, and at once\\ngo to work for Jesus, they will soon allow their faith to die out, for\\nSatan stands ready to extinguish the spark of life as kindled upon\\nthe altar of the heart by Christ. It is because of this, that Christ,\\nHimself, like the unseen man, stands by the christian constantly fan-\\nning- into flames, the oil of salvation which He adds to the young\\nconvert in and through the means of grace. It is, accordingly, often\\nasked why certain ones are enabled to stand so firm for Christ. The\\nanswer might well be given by saying, it is because they themselves\\nare true to their trust, faithful upon the means of grace, and hence,\\nalthough unseen by the outside world, yet, Christ stands constantly\\nby the side of the faithful so that as their day, so is their strength.\\nSuch as are faithful to their trust may take assurance from on high\\nin Christ s own promise when He said, I will not leave nor forsake\\nyou. Lo I am with you always.\\nA last scene in the house of the Interpreter that specially moved\\nChristian was that of a man who was shut up in an iron cage in a\\ndark room. The best explanation of this is given in the man s own\\nwords, as to why he was there thus in misery. I left off to watch\\nand be sober I laid the reins upon the neck of my lusts I sinned\\nagainst the light of the word, and the goodness of God I have\\ngrieved the Spirit and He is gone I tempted the devil and he is\\ncome to me I have so hardened my heart that I cannot repent.\\nWhat an awful but real picture of the backslider Shakespeare\\nexpresses this condition when he says\\nIn the corrupted currents of this world, ofi ence s gilded hand may\\nshove by justice and oft tis seen, the wicked purse itself buys out\\nthe law; but, says he, tis not so above: There is no shuffling,\\nthere the action lies in his true nature and we ourselves compelled,\\neven to the teeth and forehead of our faults, to give in evidence.", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0023.jp2"}, "24": {"fulltext": "And what an evidence for many at the final day The same poet\\nasks\\nWhat then what rests\\nTry what repentence can what it cannot\\nYet, what can it, when one cannot repent\\nO wretched state O bosom, black as death\\nO lined soul, that struggling- to be free,\\nArt more engaged I Help, angels I make assay\\nBow, stubborn knees, and, heart, with strings of steel,\\nBe soft as sinews of the new-born babe.\\nYes, bow humbly before God if you are a backslider, and there\\nimplore His forgiveness, lest your experience be that of others who\\nhave gone before you. After all, there is nothing in the world with\\nits sinful allurements, for the dejected man in the iron cage expressed\\nhis disappointment in the words, The lust, pleasures, and profits of\\nthis world in the enjoyment of which I did then promise myself\\nmuch delight but now every one of those things also bite mo, and\\ngnaw me like a burning worm.\\nFew persons ever get much satisfaction out of sin, but very many\\nfind in it only sorrow and vexation of spirit. No one, therefore,\\nneeds to experiment with sin for the sake of experience, for the his-\\ntory of many unfortunates suffices to prove sin a great curse.\\nEvery one should accordingly take heed to his conduct and walk\\nin life, and not leave oflf the duties of a christian for the pleasures of\\nthe world and selfish gratification, lest unawares the reins be laid\\nupon the neck of sinful lust, and the Holy Spirit grieved. The mul-\\ntiplication of little neglects of duty, and the committing of little\\nsins, finally form a habit for evil doing, and gradually, and uncon-\\nsciously the grieved Spirit takes His flight, and the backslider is\\neft alone, his heart so hardened as to render it impossible for the\\nunfortunate ever more to repent. Thus, such are left like the\\nabandoned vessel, from which has gone forth the captain the anchor\\nis cut loose from its moorings, while the vessel is left to drift, and\\ndrift on out into the great sea, at last to sink into the great deep,\\nand be lost.\\nThus, the soul that grieves the Holy Spirit, causing the Spirit to\\ntake His flight, is cut loose from its moorings upon the Rock Christ", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0024.jp2"}, "25": {"fulltext": "Jesus, and Christ as the Captain of salvation has gone forth frona\\nthe soul, while in its wrecked condition it drifts on out into the dark,\\ndrifting- on and on, until at last the soul dashes out of sight into\\nouter darkness. Suppose that soul be the soul of your father or\\nmother, or the soul of your brother or sister Suppose that it were\\nyowY own soul! Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye\\nare sealed unto the day of redemption,* but rather earnestly appeal\\nto the Holy Spirit for help, crying out in deep sincerity\\nCome, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove,\\nWith all thy power divine,\\nKindle a flame of sacred love,\\nIn this cold heart of mine.\\n23", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0025.jp2"}, "26": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER III.\\nLOOSING THE BURDEN AT THE CROSS.\\n,HRISTIAN finally departed from the House of Interpreta-\\ntion, and resumed his journey along- a road, on either side\\nof which was a wall. This would remind us of the way of\\nsalvation which is in a large sense a walled highway, up which\\nthe traveler to Zion is to journey. While there are many oppor-\\ntunities to step aside from the right path, nevertheless, in a large\\nmeasure God protects it for the christian with the walls of salvation\\nso as to hedge up the way, and thereby keep the christian from being\\nlured away into paths of sin. Often Providence hedges up a man s\\nway with thorns, not from hatred, but from love. The hedge\\nalong the roadside is to keep the traveler in the right path, and such\\nas press through it into some other way are usually punished for the\\nsame f I om the bruises incurred by such violation. This is the man-\\nner of God in protecting oar way to glory, and such as press through\\nthe hedge suffer, for the way of the transgressor is hard. In\\norder to save many from such wanderings, God places along the way-\\nside hedges in the form of sickness, misfortune, bereavement,\\nall of which wall up the way of the traveler so as to keep him in the\\npath that leads to the land where sorrow is unknown.\\nFollowing along the walled highway Christian went on with\\nthe burden upon his back until at last he came to a Cross. Stand-\\ning before it, in deep penitence, he beheld a chasm near its base and\\nthere\\nBefore the Cross he lost his Burden.\\nThis is to teach us of the power of the Cross of Christ. Many are\\nthey who are bearing burdens. There is a mighty army of sinners\\nbearing loads so heavy that they are being crushed beneath the\\nweight of their transgressions. Sin is a most grievous burden, and\\nbeneath its weight many fall crushed to death, to appear before the\\n24", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0026.jp2"}, "27": {"fulltext": "bar of God without pardon. Such, however, as feel their burden of\\nsin, sorely repenting- of the same, g^oing- to Christ for the removal\\nof that burden, such find relief, for Christ is the One to remove all\\nburdens. If, therefore, those who are in sin would go to Christ, and\\nthere before Him unbosom all, and having thus made a clear confes-\\nsion, be truly sorry and ask God s forgiveness, they could, like\\nChristian of old, walk away with the burden rolled from their heart\\nand soul. God does not stop to inquire into the greatness of the sin,\\nbut into the nature ol the confession and repentance of the sinner, and\\nsuch as come in the proper spirit of meekness and humility, receive\\nthe entire forgiveness of their sins, even though their sins may have\\nbeen as scarlet, or red as crimson. When once God has forgiven and\\nChrist washed those sins in His own blood through His Atonement,\\nthen those very sins of scarlet and crimson, become as snow and as\\nwool, for they have been washed and made white in the blood of the\\nLamb. The great misfortune with many is they want to wash away\\ntheir sins with their own bloody hands, and when they have finished\\ntheir effort, they discover the leprous spots still remain. Nothing\\nbut the blood of Jesus can atone for our sins, and God Himself real-\\nized this fact, otherwise why would He have required the death of\\nHis only beloved Son to atone for the sins of the world? For cen-\\nturies the world tried other methods, but none could make the comers\\nthereunto perfect. Only Christ could make full atonement.\\nBut there are other burdens than sin, under which many are op-\\npressed. Doubt, hangs upon the hearts of many like a heavy weight.\\nWhen Thomas doubted the testimony of the disciples concerning the\\nfact of Christ s resurrection, he had upon his heart a burden of which\\nthe world never knew, for he was the one of the eleven to refuse to\\nbelieve in the resurrection. When, however, he saw the risen Sav-\\niour, then there was rolled from him a burden, the burden of un-\\nbelief. To bear long that burden is to become dwarfed in christian\\nexperience, and the weight of it will drag down the soul to darkness\\nand infidelity. There is also the burden of sorrow that hangs heavily\\nupon the souls of many. What an army of sorrowing mortals are\\nmarching along the highway of life. The very countenance of many\\ntells of the burden of sorrow at heart, while there are still others\\n25", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0027.jp2"}, "28": {"fulltext": "who, apparently happy, yet, have sorrows known only to themselves\\nand their God. Smiles as they appear upon the faces of many are\\nforced, while deep down in the soul, hidden from the world, there lies\\nthe secret germ of sorrow, doing- deadly work. There is also the\\nburden of bereavement that has weighed down many into conditions\\nthat hasten on the heavy-laden to untimely graves. Racliels weeping\\nfor their children, because they are not, and Naomis traveling along\\nthe great highway of life,, apparently empty of all that would\\ncheer life s journey. Then, too, there is a class of persons bearing\\nthe burden of despondency, which has proven a millstone to drag\\nmany down to an untimely death. Many such are hiding away in\\nthe wilderness of loneliness and misery, desiring rather to die and\\ndepart than to live and fa^e life s conflict. The charms of life to\\nthem appear to have vanished, while the rugged path and the thorny\\nway seem all that is left.\\nOnce they had many friends, but now they are all gone. Once\\nthey had plenty of this world s goods, but their wealth has vanished\\nlike the dew before the rising sun. Once they were kindly greeted\\nand even courted, but now they, like Diogenes of old, are com])elled\\nto look with a lantern at broad daylight for some one who would be\\nwilling to lend a helping hand. Once hope was bright, but now it is\\na stranger. Stranded thus amid these unfortunate surroundings,\\nman is often heavily burdened, and some such would even blow out\\nthe candle of life, rather than see it flicker in the few remaining drops\\nof oil. But before all these, there is a place where they may come\\nand find relief. It is at the Cross of Christ.\\nAt the cross, and beneath it only.\\nFinds the troubled heart relief.\\nThere s a balm beneath its shadow,\\nThat can soothe all earthly griefs.\\nTrials come and tempests scatter,\\nAll our earthly hopes to dust,\\nYet we find relief and refuge,\\nNeath the cross of Him we trust.\\nOh, how sweet to know that ever.\\nWe ve a friend that loves us true,\\nWlio will never, never leave us.\\nNever veil His cross from view.\\n26", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0028.jp2"}, "29": {"fulltext": "Blessed Saviour, wilt Thou ever,\\nKeep us humbly at Thy cross,\\nHiding- ever neath its shadow,\\nCounting all beside but dross.\\nBlessed cross on which our Saviour,\\nBled and died that we might live.\\nUnto all who hide beneath it.\\nHe eternal life will give.\\nIf only more of the burdened of life would g-o to Christ, and there\\nunbosom all to that Friend that loves even better than a brother, then\\nthere would be far less wounded at heart, and more happy saints of\\nthe Lord here on eai th.\\nScarcely had Christian thus knelt at the cross, before\\nThree Shining Ones\\nappeared to him, bidding- him peace. He was then divested of his\\nraiment and a new outfit given him instead. He was not first scolded\\nfor his sins, but was lovingly forgiven upon his proper repentance,\\nand while he was deprived of that which he wore yet he was supplied\\nwith something far better.\\nSo Christ deals with His followers. When He asks a man to deny\\nself and become a follower of Him, Christ does not ask for al) man\\nmay happen to cherish and give him nothing in return, but for the\\nfew crumbs man gives Christ, he in return receives the loaves, and\\nfor the few rags he gives, he in return receives that which, beside\\nmaking him feel most comfortable, makes him appear most honorable\\nin the sight of all men. The young man who left the swine herd for\\na sumptuous repast at his father s table, did not make a very great\\nsacrifice. It is no sacrifice, for the same reason, for one to give up\\nthe pleasures of the world for the gift of ^v\\neternal life, for when once that gift has g i^\\nbeen bestowed, then all other things\\nare added. The men or the women of the\\nworld do not know vvhat God has in store\\nfor those that love Him, for never having\\ntasted of the good things of Christ, they\\nare looking through a glass darkly. If\\nmany of our young men and women would\\n27", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0029.jp2"}, "30": {"fulltext": "more sincerely consecrate themselves to Christ aiid His service, they\\nwould discover pleasures unspeakable, for while the world may give\\nmomentary gratification, the Gospel of Christ gives pleasure and sat-\\nisfaction at a time when the world can do nothing for us. Moses,\\ntherefore, very wisely refused the pleasures of sin which were but\\nfor a season, choosing instead the afflictions of God s people that\\nin the end he might have eternal joy and happiness.\\nIn order that Christian might not wander from the path, but\\nhave pointed out to him the proper way,\\nHe was given a RoW\\nwhich told of the journey and the proper way, while at the same\\ntime a Seal was placed upon his forehead. God would not have\\nHis followers left in darkness as to what is their duty, but His Word\\nis given as a lamp unto their feet and a light unto their pathway.\\nWhenever I am in doubt, or when I am discouraged, I read my\\nBible, and somehow I find in it that which helps me, is doubtless\\nthe experience of many. God s word is a most essential Guide Book\\non our way to the Heavenly City, and the more familiar we are with\\nit, and the more we observe its instructions, the more progress will\\nwe make in our journey, and the less regrets will we have at the end\\not the way. The proper use of the Bible will help to preserve the\\nseal of God s pardoning love upon the heart, as placed there by the\\npower of the Holy Ghost, whereby we are sealed unto the day of\\nredemption. IMeglect the roll of God s word, and the seal of\\nthe covenant of grace will sooner or later be broken. Dusty Bible\\nin the home are often indicative of broken seals of grace. It\\ndoes not speak well for a christian to be indifferent to his or her\\nBible. Nor should the Bible be stored away like medicine to be used\\nonly when occasion demands. Many are the spiritual ills which\\nmight be avoided Ai more time were spent in reading the Divine\\nTruth, and less time spent in reading much of the poisonous literature\\nof the day. Many negligent christians in this- respect fall asleep^\\nlike the three men whom Christian met. He tried with great diffi-\\nculty to arouse them, but, half asleep each one offered an excuse and\\nasked to be left alone for a little more sleep.\\n28", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0030.jp2"}, "31": {"fulltext": "Alas, how like many in life, wiio, instead of dilligently running\\nthe race before them, are fast asleep Many such are indeed like\\nthem that sleep on the top of a mast. They are exposed to the\\ngreatest danger, not knowing at what moment an unexpected storm\\nmay arise and they be hurled to despair, yet, they appear unconsci-\\nous of all danger and imminent peril. Death overtakes many as a\\nthief in the night, and when least prepared, they are called to appear\\nat the bar of God for the final rendering of their accounts. Only the\\nlast will avails, making all former null and void. This is also true in\\na spiritual sense. The mere fact of having made a will at the\\ntime of conversion and confession of Christ, does not guarantee a\\npassport into heaven. It depends upon the life of the person after^\\nthe will has been made. Each day, in a sense, man makes a different.\\nwill to God. His actions, words, and whole life s conduct constitute\\nthe will, and although man may not literally write it, yet, the angel\\nof the Lord records all, and the last day of a man s life forms in a\\nlarge sense his final will, and unless, therefore, he prove faithful\\nunto death he cannot expect the crown of life.\\nBut Christian himself unfortunately fell into a deep sleep. As ia\\nall important undertakings there are\\nHills of Difficulty\\nto ascend, so in the way to the Celestial City, there are some parts^\\nof the road that require special effort to reach the summit. While\\nthere is much to stimulate, there is also much to discourage, and un-\\nless the follower of the Lord be in earnest, he will grow weary before\\nhe reaches the end of his journey. When, therefore, Christian was\\nascending a steep hill, and found midway up a beautiful arbor, he sat\\ndown in the cool shade and rested. It was a temptation to which\\nmany others would have yielded. In fact, Satan seems often to pre-\\npare just such places along the way of the christian pilgrim, if per-\\nchance he might thereby cause man to stop for a time from his\\nchristian activities. Many have thus gone on for a time faithfully\\nserving God and His cause, until at last a seeming opportunity pre-\\nsented itself for them to discontinue their work, and, like Christiart\\nof old, they sat down to rest for a time. It is so very natural that it.\\nis frequently practiced. But, alas, Christian lived to regret his de^\\n29", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0031.jp2"}, "32": {"fulltext": "cision I So long as he rested from his journey and slept in the arbor\\nhe was doubtless satisfied, but when once his eyes were opened to\\nthe real condition of affairs, then he most bitterly lamented his having\\nstopped by the way, for in his slumber he accidentally lost the Roll\\nfrom his bosom where it had been kept, and when later on in his\\njourney he was beset with dangers and reached for the Roll he found\\nit was missing. But he searched in vain, for it could no where be\\nfound. He at once began to retrace his steps, and did not find the\\nRolJ until he came back to the arbor where he had slept. Then was\\nthere sore regret, for he realized the lost time and the many unneces-\\nsary steps which were required, because of his having slept at the\\nshady nook. No wonder that he lamented, saying, O that I should\\nsleep in the day time I And so, many will sooner or later utter the\\nsame lament, for in their day of grace they have no time to idly sleep\\naway their precious hours, but are rather enjoined to ledeem the\\ntime, and not be at ease in Zion.\\nSuch as hang their harps on the willows, and sit down to rest\\nwhile there is yet work to be done, will have no lawful excuse to offer\\nGod at the hour of judgment; and at a time when they least expect\\nthe importance of faithful consecration, they will discover the folly\\nof having sinned away opportunities of grace.\\nThere may arise discouragements by the way, yet discourage-\\nments are no excuse for slothfulness in the Master s service, for\\nChrist Himself was a man of sorrows, but He never ceased to do\\nHis Father s will. Notwithstanding there were some, and even many\\nto oppose Him in His work, nevertheless, He ever went about doing\\ngood, and would not cease to do the will of the Father merely\\nbecause some people didn t like Him. Even though all forsook Him\\nand fled, yet He was true to His mission and did not abandon the\\nwork He began, but was faithful unto death. And, says the\\napostle, Let the mind which was in Christ be also in you, and\\nseek not your own pleasure.\\nWhen once the day of wrath shall come, and man be found\\nwanting in the sight of God, then he will have only regrets for not\\nhaving been faithful to the trust assigned him. And even such as\\nsleep by the way, and afterward are enabled to receive the pardon of\\n30", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0032.jp2"}, "33": {"fulltext": "God for their folly, should life be prolonged\\nenough, yet, what is the lament Surely,\\nthere can be no satisfaction for a christian\\nman or woman who has opportunity to serve\\nGod, to sit idly by and watch others, and\\nthen at the close of life, repent of the sins,\\nand go along the journey with the regret,\\nO that I had not slept! How many\\nsteps have I taken in vain Many have\\nthus wandered from the way to glory to re-\\ngret later the folly of thus having to start\\nthe journey over again, while others are cut\\ndown without an opportunity of retracing their steps, and beginning\\nanew the way to the new life as it is in Christ Jesus our Lord.\\nHappily for Christian, he found the Roll again. He was then\\nmore eager than ever to resume his journe) for he was fearful of the\\nresults of such experiences.\\nPresently there loomed up before him in the distance the appear-\\nance of a most beautiful Palace. This was indeed an unexpected\\npleasure to him, for, doubtless, he felt he was not deserving of such\\nbapp3/ glimpses so soon after his unfortunate experience, and yet, it\\ntaught him that just beyond where we are often tempted to turn back,\\nthere lies\\nThe palace beautiful,\\nwhere God has in store for us rich blessings. Many, indeed, have\\nturned back almost in sight of home, and been denied that which a\\nfew more efforts would have achieved.\\nThe abandoned mine has often great riches just a few feet below\\nthe depth already dug, and so many have ceased their service for\\nthe Master just at a time when bright glimpses were about to appear\\nand happy returns for all sacrifice made. But before reaching these\\nbeautiful places along life s journey we must not forget there are\\nlions to pass, which are alongside the way. Nor is it wise to\\nturn back because such lions may appear dangerous, for if we\\nare truly sincere in our work, then the lions can do us no harm,\\nbut will be, as they were for Christian, chained. Troubles often\\n31", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0033.jp2"}, "34": {"fulltext": "ise up before us like lions along the way of life, until at times it ap-\\npears as if we could go no farther, but we should trust in God and\\nfaithfully go ahead, for the lions are chained. Many have thas-\\ngone on past the lions along life s pathway, greatly trembling, whea\\nat the same time there was the still small voice calling to them,\\nfear no danger.\\nPress on then nobly amid all the trials of life, for although they\\nmay appear as lions, yet they are chained, and Christ says, Fear\\nnot for when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and\\nwhen thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burned. Lo, I\\nam with you always.\\nE en through death s valley I should trod\\nAnd there give up a friend to God,\\nYet why should I tremble and fear\\nFor Christ my Friend is very near.\\nIn days of grief He by me stood,\\nAnd always has been very good.\\nWhen night was dark and all things drear\u00c2\u00bb\\nYet Christ my Friend stood very near.\\nOh anxious soul lift up gloom s veil,\\nFor Christ s strong arm will never fail.\\nThen why tremble and be in fear,\\nFor Christ your Friend is very near.\\n32", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0034.jp2"}, "35": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0035.jp2"}, "36": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER IV.\\nVALLEY OF HUMILIATION AND CONFLICT WITH\\nAPOLLYON.\\nHRISTIAN finally arrived at the House Beautiful and re-\\nceived a most delightful reception. Indeed he might well\\nfeel repaid for all he encountered, for it was such a lovely\\nplace that he appeared almost unwilling- to leave it. In a certain\\nsense this is true of the faithful worshipper of God in the Chui ch^\\nthe Palace Beautiful. It is such a beautiful place that we are there\\nenjoined to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, and the\\nPsalmist when opportunity afforded, was glad when they said unto\\nhim let us go into the house of the Lord. Many indeed have since\\nthen realized the truth of his own sweet experience, for to sincere and\\nfaithful christians, worship in God s Sanctuary affords them their\\nchief pleasure. Many are the happy experiences in God s house, and\\nsongs of praise to Him are there sung as only the pure in heart know\\nthe joy thereof. As in the House Beautiful Christian was met by\\nmost holy persons, who had charge of the place, so in God s house\\nwhere the name of the Lord is recorded, there the Lord Himself meets\\nwith his people according to His promise to meet with even two or\\nthree gathered in His name, and where the Lord records His name,\\nthere he is waiting to greet His people. It is this that makes a place\\nof worship different from all other gatherings, for God is there to\\nmeet with such as have assembled in His name. His presence is a\\nbenediction, so that the Lord being in his holy temple, the earth but\\nnaturally keeps silent so far as worldly matters are concerned in the\\nChurch of God. The world is left on the outside, or at least should\\nbe, while the church is a place for service and worship of God.\\nThings pertaining to the world and business concerns, should not be\\ncarried into the church by the worshippers.\\nIt is an offence to God for any one to come before Him in wor-\\nship in the sanctuary with the mind and heart full of worldly plans.\\n34", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0036.jp2"}, "37": {"fulltext": "Nor should there be uttered in God s house at worship, those things\\nwhich would tend to take the mind from things holy. Unhappily,\\nSatan often has given unto him a large field for his mission, for while\\nthe word of God is preached, yet, many receive it as on stony places,\\nand before they have reached their homes from the place of worship^\\nthey have allowed the devil to gather up all the good seed that was\\nsown.\\nIn the House Beautiful, Christian was asked why he had not\\nbrought along with him his wife and children. His answer was that\\nwhich is common to many of even the present da,y. As regards his\\nwife, she would not go with him, because she was unwilling to give\\nup the things of the world. Like Lot s wife of old, she seemed to\\nthink more of worldly matters than of things spiritual. Nor was she\\nalone in this respect, for like her, many other wives seem more con-\\ncerned about much serving than about the one thing needful.\\nThe wife is not required of God to neglect her household duties, but\\nrather enjoined to look well to the ways of her own household.\\nAnd yet, to make the care of her household affairs her god, or her\\nvery first and chief consideration, is a great mistake, for she has en-\\njoined upon her to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteous-\\nness, and then all these other things shall be added unto her.\\nThen too. Christian s children had a very common excuse for refus-\\ning to follow after their father in the service of the Lord. They were\\ngiven to the foolish, delights of youth. Youth has its foolish de-\\nlights and very many of the young give way to these empty pleasures.\\nTo speak to many young people about the foolish delights of\\nyouth is almost a waste of breath, for they refuse to be convinced\\nthat the delights are foolish. They will listen, many of them, to\\nthe exhortations and warnings, but it is like pouring water into a\\nsieve, for it is soon all gone, they fail to retain any of the good\\ncounsel. They resolve first to try for themselves, but many soon\\nlearn to know great disappointment and regret. In, some matters ex-\\nperience is a very expensive teacher, and a long time is often re-\\nquired to pay the bill, to say nothing of the shame and remorse\\nBefore Christian resumed his journey he was sent into an armory\\nwhere he was harnessed from head to foot, Doubtless at the time\\n35", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0037.jp2"}, "38": {"fulltext": "lie failed to appreciate the need of being thus protected, but later on\\nhe discovered that without such a previous preparation, he would\\nhave fallen a prey to the enemy. All manner of devices have been\\nused for making- life-saving garments. Even to-day many are secretly\\nwearing such means of defense against the assasin s bullet or dagger.\\nBut what are all such dangers compared with the spiritual wounds\\nthat are being daily received by the multitude. Not only are the\\nrich and rulers exposed to such fiery darts from the enemy, but\\nthe poorest and the humblest all are thus exposed. Beelzebub was\\nready from his castle to hurl the arrows, and since the day that the\\ndevil watched his opportunity to capture Eve, he has ever since been\\nsecretly watching for the best opportunity to capture the unwary and\\ninnocent. David felt the poisoned arrow as it pierced deep into his\\nTery soul, and filled him with bitter remorse. Peter was captured by\\nthe assassin, the devil, even to denying his own Master, and was\\nsaved at last only by the mercy of the Lord, saved as a brand\\nplucked from the fire. The christian armor, therefore, is an es-\\nsential matter for the security of the man who would safely reach the\\nCelestial City.\\nThus equipped, Christian started to descend a steep hill. In do-\\ning so he was warned against the danger of the descent. And he dis-\\ncovered the need of the warning before he had entirely descended into\\nIhe Valley of Humiliation^\\nfor while it is hard to ascend the Hill Difficulty, it is equally\\ndangerous to descend into the Valley of Humiliation, and like\\nChristian, many stumble in the effort. It is no easy matter for one\\nto step down from a high place of prominence into an obscure place\\nof humiliation. Few people like to be told to go down lower, but\\nmost prefer to be invited to come up higher. And yet, the Valley\\nof Humiliation has a place in the life of every one. The most fertile\\nsoil is usually found down in the valley. There usually are to be\\nfound the tallest trees. And so it is in spiritual things. The man\\nwho lives constantly on the summit of prosperity and unadulterated\\nhappiness, is not calculated to be the best type of a christian. All\\nsunshine would not develop a beautiful rose. Showers are needed\\n^to give color and fragrance. Like the flower, the character is best\\n36", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0038.jp2"}, "39": {"fulltext": "developed with both t;anshine and shower?, joy atid soitow, hills and\\nvalleys. Joseph was a much better man because of his experience\\ndown in the Valley of Humiliation. The pit and the prison hours\\nwere at the time most g-rievous, but in the end they all proved step-\\nping- stones to the throne of Egypt. To travel in this lonely valley\\nof sorrow all alone, without the hand of the Lord to lead us, is to\\ntravel a most dismal road, and one where death would be preferable\\nto life. But when the Lord is with the traveler, and His peace is his\\nstreng-th, then, all can be endured for Christ s sake, and the pilgrim\\n^oes on his way rejoicing-, even unto death itself. When Louis XVI\\nof France was on his way to execution, exposed to the most insulting\\nclamor of the rag-ing mob, he traveled through the very deepe t\\nvalley of humiliation. When at the place of execution, the execu-\\ntioners came with cords to bind him to the plank, he most seriously\\nobjected. No! no! he exclaimed, I wiM never submit to that,\\ndo your business, but you shall not bind me. When, however, the\\nking turned to his confessor, as if for counsel, and was told by his\\nspiritual adviser to submit to this fresh outrage, as the last resem-\\nblance to the Saviour who would soon recompense him for all his\\nsufferings, Louis replied, Assuredly there needed nothing less than\\nthe example of the Saviour to induce me to submit to such an indig-\\nnity. Then reaching out his hands to his executioners he said,\\nDo as you will I will drink the cup to the dregs. With such\\nresignation in the valley of humiliation, we may well appreciate\\nKing Louis words when he said, approaching the scaffold, How\\nhappy am I that I maintained my christian faith while on the throne\\nWhat would have been my condition now, were it not for this hope\\nIt were indeed well for many to consider seriously the importance of\\nhaving Christ as their Saviour while\\nthey are on the throne, in health and\\nprosperity, for when once they are led\\ndown into deep humiliation, then it -i x\\noften proves too late and man s eyes\\nare opened to see the folly of the\\nfoolish delights of youth. Take\\nChrist along, and let come what may,\\ngo where you will, and His rod and staff they comfort thee.\\n37", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0039.jp2"}, "40": {"fulltext": "But Christian had scarcely reached the valley of humiliation be-\\nfore he spied, off in the distance, coming- toward him, a most miser-\\nable looking fiend, which proved none other than Apollyon, the\\ndevil himself. It is rather strange that any one would be willing to\\nbe found in company with such a hateful looking fiend, and yet, the\\ndevil seems to win over to his companionship many choice followers.\\nIt is not strange however that those very followers are unwilling- to\\nconfess that they are companions of the devil, for it is not much of a\\ncompliment to any one to be known as keeping company with such a\\nrepulsive looking creature. Notwithstanding all this, there are many\\nwho are daily walking in the very footsteps of Satan, fighting for him\\nbattles against the Lord and the church. It is truly painful to think\\nof the bright promising young men and women who are in line with\\nthe evil one, and in refusing to become followers of Christ, they are\\nin reality against Christ and for the adversary, for Christ has very\\ndistinctly said, he that is not for me is against me. Even more\\nthan that, for He adds, He that gathers not with me, scattereth.\\nLater on a most dreadful conflict took place between\\nChristian and Apollyon.\\nWhen the fiend discovered he could not persuade Christian to turn\\nback and become one of his followers, he dealt heavy blows upon\\nhim, until at length he overpowered him, and was about to give the\\nlast blow of death when Christian seized the sword which he had let\\nfall in the struggle, and with it he drove ofif the enemy, and escaped\\nwith but a few bruises, which were afterward quickly healed by one\\nwho placed upon them leaves from the tree of life.\\nBunyan s Christian, in his conflict with Apollyon in the Valley of\\nHumiliation, is but typical of the conflict of many young men in the\\nsame valley. Discouragement, misfortune, failure have ovet-taken\\nthem, and for the time they feel humbled. In this hour of weakness\\nSatan appears to them with all manner of offers which he is unable\\nto fulfill. At such times of momentary weakness, many of the young\\nyield and fall a prey to the enemy. Notwithstanding the fact, many\\nof these very young men may have had good early training both at\\nhome and in the church, yet, perhaps away from home in a strange\\ncity among strangers, they are taken off their guard, and ere they\\n38", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0040.jp2"}, "41": {"fulltext": "ai*e aware, in their conflict with sin and temptation, Satan gets the\\nadvantage over them, and like Christian of old, in the struggle the\\nyoung man often lets his weapons of defense fall from his hands. Oh\\nthe awful conflicts that are being waged between the devil and many\\nof our once promising and noble young men. Men who at one time\\nwere duly qualified to occupy places of honor and trust, where they\\nmight have been a blessing to the age in which they live. But alas\\nfor many such, they have yielded to temptation, they have sinned\\nagainst the early teachings of their christian mothers. They have\\nturned their back upon the church, and are being fleeced by the fol-\\nlowers of the adversary, the devil, whose arrows are being hurled at\\nthem from various points of attack. Many indeed of the once strong\\nyoung men are thus attacked and are under control of the enemy.\\nStrong drink has taken hold of them with its cold iroii grasp, that\\nthey are almost as helpless as babes, and while one by one of the\\npoisoned arrows are being hurled at these men of promise, the very\\nangels look down with pity, eagerly watching, and wishing to help\\nthem, lest the last deadly blow be given and all be over. While som^\\nof the young men are thus falling from strong drink, manj others are\\nbeing captured by evil associates. Little by little their poisonous\\ninfluence is exerted upon the once innocent mind, until at last inno-\\ncence is a thing of the past, and boldness in sin takes its place. If\\nonly our young could be convinced more and more of the evil influence s\\nof wicked companions! Not only are they judged by their associates,\\nbut many are corrupted by evil environments. Step by step they\\nwalk into the net spread by the enemy, until at last they are ensnared.\\nIn fact, our young people are not as wise as are birds for when\\nonce birds have discovered that a net has been spread for them they\\nkeep far away from it. Conscious as every one must be that evil\\nnets are spread, and as manifest as are many of such places, yet,\\nwith their eyes wide open, they walk into the very places where they\\nknow death awaits them, for the wages of sin is death. Let a\\nyoung man once lose his character, and he has lost his best friend\\nand very passport into success, and a life of usefulness.\\nWhen in prison, Bunyan had sent to him a rosebush as a memorial\\nof old friendship. At first he looked upon it with great admiration as\\n39", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0041.jp2"}, "42": {"fulltext": "do many at the first appearance of sin. Tiie rose-bush later on g-rew\\na rose which attracted the lone prisoner moi e than ever. But when\\nhe went to pluck the rose it pricked his fingers. So it is with many\\nof the sinful pleasures of life. At first they promise much, but when\\nonce they are plucked, then are discovered the hidden thorns, and\\nmany are left to go about with a ^rounded character and a saddened\\nheart. The momentary gratification of sinful pleasures will not\\ncompensate for the lasting pangs of a guilty conscience, and many\\nwould gladly undo the past if it were only in their power to do so.\\nSome of the strongest men have fallen by the arrows of the evil\\none even Peter, David, Solomon, Samson, and a host of mighty\\nones have been overcome by him that is ever going about seeking\\nwhom he may devour. The misfortune with many is, they boast of\\ntheir own strength, forgetting that others just as strong as them-\\nselves have yielded to temptation, and have had woven about them\\nsinful habits, which at last bound them hand and foot, and robbed\\nthem of all that at one time was bright and hopeful. Could the\\nsecret history of many of the more unfortunate of life be known, it\\nwould be a tale of woe, and it would be discovered that sin was at the\\nroot, gnawing away the very sap of life and honorable success. God\\nis accordingly blamed for much for which He is not responsible.\\nMan has too often planted the thorn in his own pillow, for which he\\nblames God. It was no fault of the Lord that the prodigal was\\nclothed with rags, and assigned to a place among the swine. The\\nyoung man paved his own way and walked in it, as a preference of\\nhis own choice. When once he landed at the wretched place, then\\nhis eyes were opened to the end of his journey, but it was too late.\\nIt were well if many could only see on ahead to the end of the path\\nthey are traveling, for seeing the wretched end, they would doubtless\\nat once turn back and start life over again.\\nAnd yet, there is apparently no excuse for such, for they might\\nwell profit by the sad experiences of others who have gone on before\\nthem, and whose repeated trials dolefully signal all others from\\ntraveling that same way. Surely, youth should profit by the ex-\\neriences of others, without wishing first to learn the follies of\\nyouth from their own personal experience.\\n40", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0042.jp2"}, "43": {"fulltext": "Like Christian in Pilgrim Progress, such as are being-\\ntempted and attacked by the adversary, the devil, should quickly\\nseize their sv7ord, the Word of God, and with it put to flight the\\nenemy, for the devil cannot argue against God s word, when that\\nWord is properly used as the Sword of the Spirit. Unhappily many\\nhave sorely negflected the Sword. At the time of their public pro-\\nfession of faith in God at the altar, they were, apparently, ready to\\nuse it on all occasions, like Peter when he cut off the ear of Malchus.\\nBut soon afterward the Sword, God s Word, is lelt fall into disuse,\\nand like an unused sword becomes dusty and rusty. In fact, there\\nare doubtless those who would have some little difficulty in finding-\\nthe Sword, God s Word, for it has been so long since they used the\\nsame that they have forgotten when and where they last used it. Is\\nit any wonder then that many of those who once professed the name\\nof Jesus as their own Saviour, have since fallen away from grace and\\nbeen conquered by the adversai y, the devil? Such careless men iti\\nbattle would soon be captured by the enemy, for offering no resist-\\nance. Nor can we expect such as call themselves soldiers of the cross\\nof Christ, to resist temptation and sin, when they stand unguarded\\nagainst the assaults of the devil. Rather let every one be watchful\\nand stand fast in the faith, quitting themselves like men of God.\\nWith the Sword of the Spirit, they can resist the devil and he will\\nflee from them, and they stand conquerors through Him that loved\\nthem and gave Himself for them.\\n4f", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0043.jp2"}, "44": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER V.\\nVALLEY OF DEATH AND BREAK OF DAY.\\nAFTER Christian s terrible conflict with Apollyon, and his\\ntriumph with the sword, he resumed his journey with\\nSword drawn in his hand,\\nior, said he, I know not but some other enemy may be at hand.\\nThis should be the attitude of every christian, the sword drawn\\nin hand, for the time to prepare for an enemy is not when once that\\n\u00c2\u00abnemy has laid his hand upon ^our shoulder, not wiien he has called\\nupon you for a surrender, not when he has ensnared you in an evil\\nnet, but in the day of opportunity, in the day of your strength then\\nis the time to prepare and be equipped for an attack. The builders\\nof the wall under the instruction of their leader, Nehemiah, not\\nonly builded the wall, bui stood ready and prepared at any moment\\nfor an assault from the enemy. They labored with one hand in\\nthe erecting of the wall, while in the other hand they held a sword\\nto protect self. The children of Israel were commanded to eat the\\nPassover standing so that at a moment s notice they might be\\nready for action at the call of God. The sentinel stands ever ready\\nfor an invasion. There is no time for hunting the rifle and loading\\nit when once the enemy stands in front of you. So in spiritual\\nmatters. Too many are indifferent, and hence are taken unawares.\\nHad David been on duty faithfully discharging the same, he would not\\nhave fallen into the net and been captured. It was during a period\\nof idleness that the devil got hold of him, and like him, many others\\nhave been captured by Satan, because they were not sufficiently\\nwatchful. The devil always finds employment for idle persons, and\\nespecially, idle christians.\\nThere is need of rekindling the fires upon the altar of many hearts\\nthat at one time were aglow for Christ, but since have become almost\\nextinguished amid the ashes of indifference. Even the apostle Peter\\n42", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0044.jp2"}, "45": {"fulltext": "found the deril got hold of him when he was off duty for when he\\nstood idly by the f5res of the enemy w^arming himself, then having\\ndenied his Master, the evil one laid hands upon him and claimed\\nhim as one of his own. Think of it Peter, the apostle, denying\\nhis Saviour in the presence of a little servant girl, and later on\\ncursing and swearing that he never knew Him Alas like him,\\nmany have since done likewise, if not in word at least in action,\\nwhich speaks louder than words. Oh, christian man and woman,\\ndraw the sword for the cause of Christ, and march with sw^ord\\ndrawn in hand. lest unexpectedly the enemy meet you, and un-\\nguarded you fall When once you have fallen, then the enemy has\\ndouble chances over you, and your way will be all the more difficult\\nto travel.\\nNor was Christian mistaken in his expectation of meeting with\\nenemies very soon he found himself in the very midst of\\nThe Val/ey of the Shadow of Death,\\nwhere he found two men retreating as fast as they possibly could, at\\nthe same time warning Christian against going on any farther in his\\njourney, because of the dangers which^ beset the way. In this con-\\nnection we are reminded of the spies sent^out to survey the land of\\nCanaan. They returned almost frightened out of their wits, saying\\nthey had seen men like giants, and that the land was very unhealthy,\\nfor, said they, It eateth up the inhabitants. Poor fellows, scared\\nover a few discouragements which they magnified to mountains,\\nsaying, We will not go. The idea of\\nsix hundred thousand marshalled men\\nbeing afraid to march up against a body\\nof men who were neither armed nor united\\nfor the Canaanites were scattered But\\nafter all it is not so very strange, for even\\nin this age of enlightenment and advanc-\\nement, there are many like the spies and\\nthe men whom Christian found letreating\\nin the valley of the shadow of death. A\\nfew troubles rise up before them, a few\\ndiscouragements, and they at once become", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0045.jp2"}, "46": {"fulltext": "alarmed and retire from the field of service, leaving- all the battles\\nto be fought by a few who stand loyally to their posts. If only such\\nretreating- ones would keep quiet, it would not be so bad, but dis-\\nsatisfied themselves, they try to make others dissatisfied, and thus do\\ndouble harm to Christ,\\nOh, what would be the power of the church to-day if all who\\nprofess the name of Christ would be true to that profession I But,\\nalas, many seem to forget what it means to be a christian in reality,\\nrather than in mere sentiment I Too many are waiting for others to\\ncome and nurse them in their spiritual infirmities, without realizing\\nthe fact that they owe something to others, rather than to expect\\nothers to come forever and be doing for them. No christian man or\\nv^oman has a right to expect others to do more for them than they are\\nwilling to do for others. Unhappily, many of the Home Guard\\nare not only idly sitting there reading the reports of such as are in\\nthe front of the battle, enduring hardships as valiant soldiers of the\\ncross of Christ, but they seem to think that those very ones who are\\ndoing all the hard fighting, should come to them and carry sweet-\\nmeats to tickle their palates. Why do not those very persons leave\\ntheir places of ease and luxury, where nothing is being done by\\nthem, and go to the front and there offer their services, thus allow-\\ning others to be lightened of their heavy burdens? Surely it is as fair\\nfor one as for the other, and as God is no respecter of persons, unless\\nsuch will march to the field of battle and offer their services, they\\nsurely cannot expect the same blessing from God when the day\\ncomes foi the distribution of rewards. Don t, therefore, become\\ndiscouraged because of a few stones of offence by the way, or because\\nthe way may at times lead through dark places, for after all, this is\\nbut a good sign that you are in the right way. No one has ever yet\\ngotten to heaven on flowery beds of ease, nor is there much\\nlikelihood that any ever will, so that such as are living with the\\nexpectation of escaping all trials, will be sorely mistaken. It is all\\nfolly to retreat because f discouragement. Some people seem to\\nthink they can be christians, and yet have the pi ivilege at any time\\nit pleases them to leave off the work of the Master and single out\\ntheir own course and mode of living. If such were the teachings of\\n44", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0046.jp2"}, "47": {"fulltext": "Christ then were it a most pitiable condition for the salvation of the\\nworld, for whenever the followers of Christ would become dis-\\nsatisfied wath the work, they could just quit and sit down and bask\\nin the sunshine of the devil and his followers. These are the ones,\\nwho, like Peter, fall and are restored only by bitter tears of repent-\\nence, together with a future life of consecration to God and the\\nchurch. Otherwise, they will share the fate of Judas who betrayed\\nhis Master, and afterward his soul was hurled into eternity, into\\ndarkness, into unspeakable anguish.\\nThe spirit that should prompt every follower of God should be\\nthat of Christian when he said to such as would discourage him,\\nThis is my way to the desired heaven. Unhappily, many of the\\ndiscouraged christians listen to the idle words of the retreating.\\nThey seem to relish those things which injure the cause of Christ,\\nand many are, unfortunately, only too ready to add fuel to the dis-\\nheartened by encouraging them in their wrong thinking, when\\ntraveling through the valley of the shadow of death, in which\\nplace the christian is sorely tested and even threatened wit spiritual\\ndeath. In that valley there are always to be found persons who, like\\nthe two men who met Christian, \u00c2\u00abire ever ready to bear tidings that\\nare utterly false and harmful. They are the servants of the devil\\ncarrying wicked messages. Instead of trying to make peace and\\nthus help the cause of Christ and show the part of a true christian,\\nmany do just the opposite and do much harm. If such persons\\nwould stop for a moment and think of the results of their evil words,\\nthey would act very differently, for even after they are dead and gone,\\nperhaps there will yet be growing the fruits of their evil sowing, and\\nsurely, there can be no satisfaction to any one for having been in-\\ninstrumental in causing trouble by their words. Why not be a\\npeace-maker, and be loved because of the very fragrance of your\\nwords which make peace\\nIn this valley, Christian had another peculiar experience, for\\nsoon he came to a place where there was\\na deep pit,\\nand from it came forth both flames and smoke, and near by were\\nmany snares and pitfalls\\n45", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0047.jp2"}, "48": {"fulltext": "This is but another of the man} experiences along the way of\\nlife. You will not be able to travel very far toward the Celestial\\nCity, before you meet with these very experiences. Because he was\\nunmindful to the call of God, Jonah learned to know the agonies of\\nthe deep pit. David wept and his bones waxed old amid his\\ngroanings and moanings day and night, because of his transgres-\\nsions. There are many pitfalls carefully prepared for the capture\\nof young men and women. The devil loves a shining mark, and\\nhence he aims at the youth of the land. He is not satisfied merely\\nwith the old and dying, but delights in the capture of the young, so\\nthat he may have an army of strong, active persons to serve him.\\nIn our young people lies great strength for good or evil. Would to\\nGod that noble power were consecrated to God and the church\\nWhat work might be accomplished for the salvation of the world,\\nand the betterment of society, and mankind What happy homes\\nwould be the result What fathers and mothers would rejoice in-\\nstead of weep over the conduct of their children\\nBad literature, has proven a pilfall for many of our youth.\\nBooks and papers which tend to shatter the faith of the religious,\\nshould be consigned to the flames, for they rob man of all, and give\\nhim nothing in return, but the ashes of a wrecked faith. Once out-\\nside the fold of Christ, the young are exposed to the snares of the\\ndevil, and have but little show for safety. Let a young man try to\\nlive independent of the church and he will find very serious dangers\\nbesetting his way and ere he is aware, he is a captive in one of the\\npitfalls of the enemy. Much of the literature of to-day is demoraliz-\\ning in its tendency, and corrupts the minds of the young, under-\\nmining their faith in Christ. Indeed many of the novels are not fit\\nfor a place in the home, and are mental alcohol to the reader.\\nThe dance as it is carried on in many places, is another most\\ndangerous pitfall for our youth. Dangerous for two reasons. First,\\nto the body. Many young persons have impaired their health, gone\\ninto hasty decline, and to an untimely grave because of the dance.\\nI question very much whether or not parents are not to blame in\\nmany instances for these untimely deaths, for the child is educated\\nfor the dance, and thereafter it is but natural for the child to put\\n46", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0048.jp2"}, "49": {"fulltext": "into practice that which it has been\\ntaug-ht Then, too, there is another\\ndanger that often results from the dance,\\nand that is the moral danger. Public\\nballs and promiscuous dancing, where\\nthe young are indiscriminately thrown in\\nthe arms and embrace of each other, is\\nnot, generally speaking, very conducive\\nto morals. Many enter such circles where\\nthere are persons that a lady would not\\nwant to entertain in her parlor, and yet,\\nat the public ball she is carried around\\nin the arms of one of such. A woman s dance once cost the head of\\none of the very best men that ever lived, John the Baptist. That\\nyoung woman was not the only one who -sacrificed a life for the\\ndance, for some have lost even more than life they have lost a soul.\\nIt is well, therefore, for our youth to think well of some of the hid-\\nden pitfalls that lie before them, lest their eyes be opened when too\\nlate.\\nWhy do I plead for our youth V I plead for them because of the\\ndangers that lie before them. I plead for them because of their in-\\nfluence and power in the world. I plead for them because, when\\nrobbed of all, the world will do nothing more for them but cast them\\naside, friendless and hopeless. I plead for the young because I love\\nIhem for their souls sake. I plead for them because I want them to\\nbe truly happy and successful in life. And I plead for them because\\nI want them at last to share the reward of the righteous in glory\\nabove. Young men and women, I plead for you that you may\\nprosper even as your soul prospers, and that at last you may re-\\nceive the plaudit, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter\\nthou into the joys of thy Lord.\\nHappy for Christian, indeed, was the fact that at last there came\\nfor him\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2the break oj day.\\nSuch cheerless valleys have an end, and sooner or later the Lord\\nopens up before the pilgrim a way of escape from the trials and temp-\\n47", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0049.jp2"}, "50": {"fulltext": "tations that beset him. Christian, therefore, could well be delighted\\nand say, He hath turned the shadow of death into morning. And\\nso there is the break of day to every christian, a passing from the\\nnight and valley of sin out into the open plain and dawn of the\\nliberty of the children of God. Once Christian thought if only he\\nhad a new heart, then would he hate sin, and be free from all evil,\\nbut there are times when the darkness seems to come back upon the\\nsoul, and for the time the traveler apparently gropes for his way in\\nthe valley of the shadow of death.* Like St. Paul he finds a law\\nin his members warring against the law of his mind; the flesh\\nlusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. Faith\\nthus struggles with sin and doubt, each one striving for the mastery.\\nMany christians have thus experienced times when the battle with\\nsin was dark and heavy. Although man loves God, and knows the\\npower of Christ, yet, he observes some sad deficiencies, which hang\\nlike shadows and clouds over his soul. Bat like Christian, he be-\\nthinks himself of the weapon of prayer, and kneeling down before\\nGod, he prays in all fervency, la^-ing hold of the promises of Christ,\\nclinging to the Saviour until he has been blessed. The darkness\\nnow becomes absorbed by the morning light, and the crooked things\\nare made straight. A moment before, Christian sank now, the\\nbreak of day has come to his soul, and he sings for joy. The over-\\nshadowing clouds of doubt and sin have been rolled away, and he\\nbeholds the break of day of God s love in his heart. Many a man\\nand woman have thus gone on in sin until at last the light from\\nheaven has shone round about them, and, like Paul of old, the soul\\nawoke to the divine light, and the old man was put otT and the new\\nman Christ Jesus put on, so that henceforth they could say, Not I,\\nbut Christ liveth in me.\\nIt may seem to some that they can never get out of the valley\\nbut let all such remember that the same road that leads to the valley^\\nleads through the valley, on to the ridge of the break of day. Often\\nin temporal affairs we are ushered down into the very valley of the\\nshadow of death, when it would seem all had been swept away from\\nus. Only gloom and despair stare us in the face, and often at such\\ntimes death would almost seem preferable. But why art thou ast\\n4S", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0050.jp2"}, "51": {"fulltext": "down, oh my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope\\nthou in God, and He will bring- all things to pass, that shall work\\ntogether for good to them that love Him. At the very time when\\nwe least expect, often the day breaks and the morning light and joy\\ncome. There are times when the valley seems so long and dark\\nthat it would appear there is no end to the night, but God is holding\\nthe reins of the universe. God reigneth, and slumbers neither day\\nnor night The trouble with many is they are trying to pass through\\nthe valley wholly in their own strength, without asking for the\\nhelp of God. Wherefore, seize the weapon of prayer and use it\\nwisely I It is not always an easy thing to pray, and many use this part\\nof christian armor unwisely. We should pray like Jacob did when\\nhe said to the angel with whom he had been wrestling all night, I\\nwill not let thee go except thou bless me. Too many pray formally,\\nor when they are half asleep, and were God to answer their prayer,\\nthey would, indeed, be taken unawares, for they expect not that for\\nwhich they ask, and hence do not receive it. We should also pray\\nas did blind Bartimeus when he said, Lord, that I may receive mv\\nsight. That prayer came from the very depth of his soul, and he\\nwas sincerely in earnest. He wanted his sight, and the Lord granted\\nhis i-equest. Manj- are blind spiritually, and were they to ask God\\nin the spirit of Bartimeus for spiritual vision, they would receive\\ntheir sight. We should also pray as did Peter, when he found him-\\nself sinking. A large wave came rolling along carrying him deep\\ndown out of sight of Christ, who came walking to him on the sea.\\nAt once, therefore, Peter realized his utter helplessness and begged\\nthe Lord to help him, saying, Lord, save, I perish. The great\\ntrouble with many, both in their sins and in their afflictions, is they\\nfirst try all manner of other remedies, instead of coming and throw-\\ning themselves wholly into the arms of faith and the Lord in prayer.\\nBut the best prayer of all is that which Christ Himself prayed\\nFather\u00e2\u0080\u0094 thy will be done. We are too prone to pray selfishly,\\nand ask God to give regardless of that which is best for us. Better\\npray God to make us solely humble and submissive to His will, that\\nwe may do whatsoever He would have us do; that we would go where-\\nsoever He would have us go; and that we would submit to whatsoever\\n49", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0051.jp2"}, "52": {"fulltext": "He would have us submit. Not my will, but thine be done, O\\nLord, should be the spirit of all our prayers. Then shall we most\\nreasonably expect an answer to our prayers, and the break of day\\nwill be sure to come. God has placed many in the valley, in\\norder that they might be brought to the true light as it is in Christ\\nJesus, causing the soul to rejoice, saying, Joy cometh in the morn-\\ning.", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0052.jp2"}, "53": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0053.jp2"}, "54": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER VI.\\nVANITY FAIR.\\nCHRISTIAN doubtless realized the fact that by laying down the\\nburden of the world, he had taken up the cross of Christ, for\\nthere were not many days along his journey when he did not\\nhave some experience of cross-bearing. In fact that is only the\\nnatural indication of being a follower of Christ, for without the cross\\nfor the Master, no one can be His disciple. Whosoever will not\\ndeny himself, says Christ, and take up his cross and follow me, is\\nnoD worthy of being my disciple.\\nIt is a mistaken idea to suppose we are to escape all cross-bear-\\ning, when Christ Himself bore the cross for the sins of the world,\\nand surely we are not to expect to get to heaven by any other way\\nthan th-at of following in the footsteps of Him who has gone on before\\nus. Lest Christian might, perchance, forget this fact, Evangelist ap-\\npeared to him again, and not only encouraged him for his success in\\nthe past, but also admonished him to be careful in the future, for,\\nsaid Evangelist to Christian, You are not yet out of\\nf/ie gunshot of the devil.\\nLike Christian we all need to be forcibly reminded of this warn-\\ning, for too often we boast of our safety and think we are at a vant-\\nage ground where we can be sure of standing. Many have thus\\nboasted only to see the very foundation fall, on which their hopes\\nwere built. Boastfulness begets vanity and personal pride, which\\nso undermines faith in Christ that man is sure to fall, sooner or\\nlater. It is always well to be conscious of personal weakness and a\\nlonging to be stronger in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lean-\\ning on one s own understanding, is but leaning upon a broken reed.\\nCome just this one time, do just this one act, drink just this\\none glass. It all sounds very innocent, and to many seems harm-\\nless, but the one act, the one glass, has often opened the very flood-\\n52", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0054.jp2"}, "55": {"fulltext": "gates, into which rushed the river like a mighty torrent, carrying\\nalong everything before it to ruin and destruction. Many have thus\\nbeen innocently captured by the tempter, and fallen a prey into the\\nhands of the enemy of sinful habits. You are not yet out of the\\ngunshot of the devil, and to think self safe may be to fall into the\\nwiles of the adversary.\\nIt is dangerous to slack up in the race; for often the delay\\nproves most disastrous. King Louis Sixteenth of France, during the\\ntime of his flight, would have escaped, had not his carriage broken\\ndown. That delay of half an hour, however, proved fatal, and he was\\ncaptured by the enemy. Many others in a spiritual sense have lost\\na half hour by the way. That time is gone forever, but the results of\\nsuch a loss still remain, and the delay along the journey of life by\\nsuch occasions, has resulted in the downfall of many who at one time\\nseemed sure of safety. The crown is at the goal, and unless we are\\npersevering unto the very end of the journey, we cannot expect the\\nreward of the faithful. The Bible needs to be read just as faithful\\nten years after the start in the christian race, as at the beginning of\\nthat race. Prayer is as important twenty years after the peace of\\nGod came into the heart as it was at the very start of christian ex-\\nperience. Worship of God is as essential to the healthy in body\\nthirty years after the confession of Christ as Saviour, as it was at\\nthe time that profession was made. There is no spare time in holy\\nliving.\\nChristians need to be as faithful to\\ntheir trust, as the clock is to time. The\\npendulum might complain of the con-\\nstant toil and swing. It might get tired\\nof the monotony of swinging to and fro,\\nhour after hour, and day after day. It\\nhas no time to itself, but must constantly\\nbe on the go. In a sense it might appear\\nto be accomplishing but very little\\nmerely moving back and forward in the\\nsame space over the same territory, day\\nin and day out. It has no chance for a\\n53", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0055.jp2"}, "56": {"fulltext": "change. And yet, that swinging pendulum is faithfully discharging\\nits duty, keeping the clock in motion and the correct time is given to\\nevery passer by. The clock itself might reasonably offer up a Lot of\\ncomplaints, for being constantly shelved, while day after day it is\\nwound up merely to run over the same line of work, year in and year\\nout. Yet, the wheels revolve, and the cog within moves, each part\\nperforming its several functions.\\nChristians will do well to pattern after the clock, and not grow\\nweary in well doing. It is all folly to start well and then stop. Betr\\nter never have started at all, than to fail in the end, for to him\\nthat knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin. We need\\nto be as faithful and regular at our post as the pendulum is in th^\\ndischarge of its duty.\\nChristian was admonished to set his face like a flint, and were\\nmore thus firmly fixed in the faith, there would be less to murmur\\nor complain. Because you may have done well in the past, is no\\nargument for laziness in the future. The pendulum is not excused\\nfrom action because at one time it did its work well. The faithful\\nswinging in the past is but the better recommendation for its future\\ntruthfulness. So christians who have been most faithful in the past,\\nare expected to be all the more faithful in the future. Never leave\\nthe safe vessel for an old rotten boat. The fact that the ship has\\nproven safe in the time of storm, is the best proof in favor of remain-\\ning on board that vessel. Only an insane man would leave a safe\\nsteamer for an old rotten barge. Spiritually speaking, this is even\\nmore true. Christ is the only firm foundation, and such as would\\nleave Christ and go aboard the rotten ship of the world, will find as\\ndid Jehoshephat that at the very time when they expect to go to Ophir\\nfor gold, that an unexpected storm will have arisen and the ships\\nbe broken. Of them it will be said as it was of Jehoshephat, They\\nwent not, because their ships were broken.\\nIt were indeed well if christians would pattern in some respects\\nafter the men and women who are members of the various orders,\\nsocieties, and lodges. In these various associations the members do\\nnot complain when asked to do anything, but simply do it. When\\ntheir dues are payable, there is no complaint as regards the payment\\n54", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0056.jp2"}, "57": {"fulltext": "of the same, but the money is laid down without any question. All\\nis apparently done cheerfully and larg-ely. But this kind of spirit is\\nfrequently wanting- in the work of the church. While it mig-ht be\\ncomparatively easy to contribute a few dollars as dues to a society,\\nthat same amount given to the cause of Christ would be deemed by\\nmany christians, a very great sacrifice. To attend the various\\nmeetings of such orders is regarded a pleasui e, and no com])laints\\nare offered, whether it be cold or hot, whether it be moonlight or\\nrain, whether it be near or far. But when it comes to a question of\\nthe church with many such, they are like the one of old, and say, I\\npray thee have me excused. Or if it be an appeal for missions or\\nother needs of the church, they will hunt up a few rusty pennies that\\nhappen to be left over from payment for things of the world, the flesh\\nand the devil. Such need to be on their guard, for they are not\\nyet out of the gunshot of the devil.\\nLike Christian of old, they are often made to realize the force of\\nsuch a warning, for ere they are aware, they find themselves in the\\nvery midst of\\nVanity Fair.\\nThis is indeed a very old town, and many have passed within its\\ntempting streets, only to be lured by siren voices, and be captured by\\nthe tempter. The merchandise of this fair is such as is common\\nin every village, town or city. Even Christ Himself was accosted on\\nthe lonely mountain by one from this fair who was eager to sell\\nhis ware, for the devil had the presumption to tempt Christ shortly\\nafter the Master s baptism. That same tempter has been at it ever\\nsince, and has sold much of his goods, for not all are wise as was\\nChrist, who refused to buy but said, Get thee behind me Satan.\\nMany have entered this fair of vanities, with great riches of health,\\nwealth and character. But alas, not a few of those very same per-\\nsons have come away from vanity fair paupers, for while at the\\ndevil s booth all things are sold, yet each ounce of dross costs its\\nounce of gold. Health is often destroyed by feeding upon the un-\\nwholesome food secured at the fair. The sinner soon discovers\\nthat the ways of the world are not conducive to a healthy frame of\\neither body or mind. Gradually the nervous system is destroyed^\\n55", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0057.jp2"}, "58": {"fulltext": "and healthy muscles burned up, until at last there stands but the\\nskeleton of what was at one time a healthy body. As with the\\niiealth, so with riches. Money is soon spent in vanity fair. A\\n4ew dollars do not last long at that place, nor do they purchase much.\\nBefore man knows it, he is robbed of his hard earnings. Many to-\\nlay are living in squalor and pauperism, who at one time possessed\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0all that was necessary for a comfortable livelihood, but entering\\nvanity fair, indulging in the follies of life, eating, drinking,\\nand being merry, they soon spent their all and there arose a\\nmighty famine in their life s experience. Such persons have no\\none to blame but themselves. They allowed themselves to be fleeced\\nuntil at last they were robbed of all their money and their backs\\nclothed with rags, while their table was wanting the necessaries of\\nlife. Thus, the devil gets the home and gives man instead the hovel.\\nThe devil takes the fatted calf and gives man the ashes.\\nWith health and wealth, many have sold their character at\\nvanity fair. Robbed of health and wealth, character is man s\\nbest friend, but when once character is gone, then man is a miserable\\nwreck. Men and women may be ever so humble, yet, if they be\\nlionorable they have riches worthy of high esteem and confidence.\\nBut let them lose the God-given principle of character, and they are\\nrobbed ^of all that makes life worth living. Alas how manj lose\\nthis very thing in vanity fair They want to see the world. They\\nare anxious to know tomething more about life, than that which is\\nlearned in the home from parents. They want to see for themselves\\nthe doings of the world. They enter the fair for themselves.\\nBut through such experiences, many have afterward left the ways of\\nthe world to find themselves robbed of their very best possession,\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0character.\\nWith character they also lose friends in vanity fair. Let\\nthose whom sin has fleeced count up their friends and see how\\nT^ery few they have. No need of using the fingers of both hands for\\nsuch a count, for they will not be able to find enough for the fingers\\nof one hand. So long as you feast, your halls will be crowded, but\\nwhen once your feasts are all over then the world will pass you by\\nunnoticed. Many a man has gone on in the world thinking he had a\\n56", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0058.jp2"}, "59": {"fulltext": "host of friends, but discovered when too\\nlate, that he had none, save such as were\\nusing him for what they could get out of\\nhim. Open up your halls of feasting\\nagain, and soon you will have back all of\\nyour old acquaintances. Such is the way\\nof the world, and a man is a fool who will\\nsee these things, and yet keep on squan-\\ndering his money in vanity fair. Un-\\nfortunately, it is true of many, that while\\nexperience is a dear teacher, yet, fools\\nwill not learn in any other way.\\nChristian found at the .Fair some very disreputable charac-\\nters, and such as were dangerous to touch, for among them were-\\ncheats, rogues and thieves. How like many at the present day\\nwho bring forward their wares and try to tempt our young men and\\nwomen to purchase The inexperienced see only the coating, they\\ntaste only the sugar, and in their innocency, they are blind to the\\nhidden pc ison the deadly hook is covered up by the tempting-\\nbait. It is very true of many of the young that they are as fishes\\nof the sea. The bait is dropped down before them and without\\nthought they bite and the work is done.\\nIt were well if men and women would profit by the unhappy ex-\\nperiences of the unfortunate, and seeing wherein others have erred\\nand been deceived, guard against those very things whereby others\\nfell. Don t taste poison for the sake of knowing how it tastes,\\nYou are the first one to tell me of my faults, others have flat-\\ntered me, said a gentleman one afternoon, but, he added, the\\nflatterer is not my friend. For this reason we warn men because\\nwe love them.\\nAt vanity fair, Banyan s Christian was characterized in three\\ndifferent ways from the rest of the people at the fair.\\nFirst of all, he was clothed differently. Like him, christians\\nshould be different from the world. Not fanatical, but a look that\\nwill show to the world that they have been with Jesus and learned\\nof him. Too many christians are hanging on to their grave\\n57", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0059.jp2"}, "60": {"fulltext": "clothes, refusing to put off entirely, the old man of sin for\\nthe new man Christ Jesus. Some have a Sunday suit and a\\nweek-day suit, trying thus to serve both God and mammon.\\nThe soldier is known by the clothes he wears as to the side on which\\nhe is fighting. And so christians are to be sufficiently marked that\\nit may be discerned on which side they are fighting, whether for or\\nagainst the Lord. If you saw a man lying drunk along the street it\\nwould not be difficult to tell on which side he was fighting. If on\\nthe other hand you saw a man going about doing good to the sick\\nand needy, you would at once be able to tell on which side that man\\nwas fighting. By their fruits ye shall know them. for men do\\nnot gather grapes from thorns nor figs from thistles.\\nChristian was also known by his speech. Much of the conver-\\nsation is utterly demoralizing. It is indeed alarming to hear much\\nof the conversation that falls from the lips of many of the present\\nday. Even in the parlor, the conversation is frequently not of that\\nreal refining character that it should be, and it were well in many\\nInstances if the parlor doors could be swung wide open, and the\\nparent be present as a purifier of that which is said. There is no\\ndoubt but that the parlor is frequently abased, and that too in ways\\nwithout number. One very common mistake is to drive the sons out\\nof the parlor for fear they may disarrange some of the ornaments,\\nor destroy the furniture. Far better to allow them to use the parlor\\nthan to drive them out into the streets. Better allow the son to enter-\\ntain his friends in the parlor than for him to meet them on the street\\ncorners. Could many of the young men of to-day speak, they would\\nbe able to tell of the harmful results in being compelled to entertain\\ntheir friends on the street, instead of welcoming them in the home\\nparlor. The home should be made so attractive that the very parlor\\nitself would eclipse all desire for the vanity fairs of the world.\\nMen will have associates and if they cannot receive their friends in\\nthe home they will go out in the world and form acquaintances.\\nBetter allow some of the furniture to be even broken by the sons,\\nthan drive them away from home for enjoyment, for sons that are\\nproperly reared in the home, in after days will be able to repay a\\ndozen times all they destroyed when boys. Besides, such sons will\\n58", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0060.jp2"}, "61": {"fulltext": "be an honor to their parents, as well as a great source of gratifica-\\ntion and assistance. Among the birthday gifts which may be given\\na son when he is twenty-one years of age, is a Night Key. But un-\\nfortunately for many sons they receive that gift when too young.\\nThe mother who sits up at night to open the door for the return of\\nher son or daughter, is much wiser than the mother who gives the\\nson and daughter a night key, to return at their own pleasure, at\\nany hour of the night. Sad, indeed, is it for those sons and daughters\\nwho, through death, have no mother to thus counsel them, for after\\nyears often tell very forcibly what has been lost by such denials. Be\\ncareful in the selection of your companions, and associate only with\\nsuch as have purity of speech, ever remembering that your conver-\\nsation is in heaven. Hence, let your conversation be as becometh\\nthe gospel of Jesus Christ. Let no corrupt communication pro-\\nceed out of your mouth, but rather speak that which is good to\\nthe use of edifying.\\nThe third characteristic of Christian in vanity fair was he\\nhad little regard for their wares. All manner of articles were\\noffered him, but when tempted he would silently pray saying, Turn\\naway mine eyes from beholding vanity. It is a sad fact that many\\ndo just the very opposite, for instead of praying that they might not\\nsee vanity they go forth in search of it. In our large cities there is\\nmuch that is ennobling, and many are the opportunities for self-\\nculture and success in life. But, instead, many go forth in search of\\nthat which is low and debasing. They see apples of Sodom and\\nat once stop and price them. Sugar-coated, as are all such offers of\\nthe devil, many taste, eat and fall. It is dangerous to barter with\\nthe devil, for when once a conversation is entered into then Satan\\ngets a strong foothold, and in the end often carries off his booty.\\nBetter by far to have nothing to do with the wares of the devil,\\nand when tempted, do as did Christian silently pray to Godsaying^\\nTurn away mine eyes from beholding vanity.\\n59", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0061.jp2"}, "62": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER^VII.\\nBUY THE TRUTH.\\n^**^0 be a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, means more\\nthan a mere negative attribute. It is not enough for one to\\ncease to do evil. If that were all the Lord required of\\nHis followers, then it would be an easy matter to be a christian. It\\nwould be about as cheap as many seem to wish religion were. One\\nof the great problems of the present day, that is puzzling the minds\\nof many, is to know just how little is required of them to get to\\nheaven. They are willing to cease doing evil, but are unwilling to\\nput into practice the second requirement, or, the doing good part\\nof religion. It was therefore only natural for the people at Vanity\\nFair to ask of Christian what he would buy, since he refused to\\nbuy or even price their wares. They seemed to say to him, Sir, if\\nyou refuse to buy our goods,\\nwhat will ye buy?\\nIt is so with every one. Man must decide one way or the other.\\nIf you are against a certain matter or person, you must surely be\\n/i7r something else or for some other person. You are something.\\nIf you are not one thing, you are surely another. Otherwise you\\nwould be like the painted Jackdaw. It disliked its own kind, and to\\nbe different from them, it was painted white. Seeing some doves\\nfly by, the painted jackdaw joined them. But no sooner had the\\njackdaw opened his mouth than the doves discovered him to be a\\ntraitor and not one of their number, and at once unmercifully drove\\nhim away. He then decided to go back again to his old company,\\nbut the jackdaws didn t like his looks, and refused to have anything to\\ndo with him, and so, the poor painted bird had no where to go, for he\\nwas neither a dove nor a jackdaw. This is the unfortunate condi-\\ntion of some professing christians; they are not wanted among the\\ntrue followers of God because their speech betrays them, nor are\\n60", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0062.jp2"}, "63": {"fulltext": "they wanted among- the people of the world, because they dislike a\\nhypocrite, and as a result, they are a sort of Mahomet s coffin, sus-\\npended between heaven and earth.\\nIf any one wants to be a true follower of God, he must follow\\nand not stand still. He must buy something. He must da\\nsomething-. Otherwise he will be like the man who each morning-\\nwent down to the saw-mill and polished the saw, put all in readiness^\\ngreased all the parts of the machinery, saw that everything was in\\ngood order, but he never did any work. He had all in readiness, but\\nnever a log was sawed. There, month after month, the mill stood\\nready, and yet, it stood idle. The christian who stands ready like\\nthe mill, but never does anything, might just as well not be ready.\\nBetter even not to make such a profession, for it only deceives others.\\nChrist Himself dislikes deception, for when He saw the fig tree\\ngreen, looking as if it were laden down with fruit, but upon exami-\\nnation saw that the tree was barren, having on it nothing but\\nleaves, the Lord was displeased and cursed the tree, that it died.\\nBetter make no profession at all than make one and be untrue to it,.\\nfor deception not only imposes upon but displeases God.\\nWhen, therefore, Christian was asked, What will you buy\\nhe did not endeavor to explain away his faith, by trying to carry\\nwater on both shoulders, but he was true enough to stand by hi\\ncolors, and stand boldly on the Lord s side. Hence, he said, We\\nbuy the truth. This at once told the people just where he stood.\\nThere was no question about his belief no dallying with the world,,\\nbut a bold declaration of his faith in that which was right. He\\nwanted the Truth and nothing else would answer.\\nWe buy the truth, should\\nbe the motto of every follower of\\nGod, for without the Truth\\nthere can be no sanctiflcation.\\nSanctify them by thy truth,\\nand the Truth that best sancti-\\nfies is God s Holy Word,the Bible.\\nPeople are always gathering ^^I\\ninformation, and there is a great\\n6r", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0063.jp2"}, "64": {"fulltext": "tendency to g-ather much that is most undesirable. Evil gossip is a\\nthing easily to be secured, without money and without price. In\\nfact, it is thrust into your very face. Gossip, like bad literature, is\\nvery cheap and plentiful. There is much said that would better\\nnever have been uttered, and it is a dangerous thing to listen to and\\nbelieve all that is spoken. It were well, indeed, if people would\\nbuy the truth and not take without cost everything that is\\noffered them. Chaff is very cheap, and easily carried about. Much\\nof the damaging talk is like chaff, so very light that little effort is\\nrequired to scatter it broadcast over the land. We do well, accord-\\ningly, to discount much that we hear, and make an effort to get at\\nthe truth. It may not always be easy, yet, it is the proper thing.\\nBuy the truth.\\nBuy it at any price, for the truth and only the truth is worth\\npossessing. The truth is cheap at any price, while evil gossip is ex-\\npensive even when received without any cost. Very little of the real\\ntruth is acquired without a price. The young man who wishes to be-\\ncome a physician must pay for the truth. The apprentice does not\\nget the truth of his calling for nothing, but must pay foi- what he\\ngets. The client desirous of the truth is required to buy it from\\nlegal authorities before he gains possession of the same. The\\npatient before he gets the truth from his physician, is expected to\\npay for the cure, or the truth. We must buy the truth.\\nBut while we must buy the truth it is also a fact that, the\\ntruth often causes a hubbub.\\n.Just as soon as it was discovered at Vanity Fair that\\nChristian was a purchaser only of the truth, then at once the peo-\\nple were opposed to him. He and his friend Faithful, who had\\nbeen with him for some time, were mocked and bound with chains,\\nand thus weighted down, they were driven through the streets as a\\nterror and warning to any others who might be desirous of becoming\\nfollowers of Christ with Christian and Faithful.\\nThis seems to be the nature of Truth; it often arouses ani-\\nmosities on the part of those of the world. St. Paul at Ephesus soon\\ndiscovered that upon the preaching of the Truth, people became\\nincensed, and at once were up in arms against him. The result was\\n62", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0064.jp2"}, "65": {"fulltext": "a terrible uproar and tumult at Ephesus. Wrong doing cannot\\nstand the truth, for it tells a man just what he is, and often people\\ndon t like others to know those things, nor do they like to be re-\\nminded of their faults. When the shoe fits too closely, the wearer is\\napt to offer some complaint. It is a truth in such instances that\\nthe shoe fits, and hence the wearer recognizes the application.\\nThe trouble with some persons is, they are like the passenger on\\nboard a steamer. He was upbraiding the captain, and calling him\\nall manner of ugly names, when the captain, very politely turned the\\nother cheek and gave the passeijger a blow upon his own cheek,\\nwhich at certain times seems to be the gospel idea of turning the\\nother cheek. At once the passenger cried out, I m tender. Like\\nhim, many say all manner of things about others, and in their very\\nlife do much that is to the harm of their fellowmen, their wives and\\nchildren but as soon as the truth is declared, it causes a hub\\nbub and they become very much offended, saying, I m tender.\\nAlas If the church must keep quiet on certain lines for fear of\\nhurting some one s feelings, then it might as well close its doors, and\\nlet the devil take charge of things. I m tender. Yes, it were\\nwell if some persons were a little more tender, and in their dealings\\nwith mankind they would consider the other fellow, as well as\\ntheir own selfish ends. You owe something to your neighbor as well\\nas to yourself, and no one has a right to do that which will injure\\nhis neighbor, unless thereby he accomplish greater results and bles-\\nsings to a greater number of individuals, and in all God be glorified.\\nAm I my brother s keeper Y^es, you are your brother s keeper,\\nand as such, you ow^e him a brother s part. You cannot afford to\\nbury the truth for the sake of pleasing the devil or even his follow-\\ners. That is just what the devil has been after since his fall. He is\\ntrying to bury truth, and then he would be king on the throne. It\\nwould not be long, under such a rule, before we would fall back into\\nthe customs of the dark ages, when we would have the survival of\\nthe fittest. Brute force would then be the power to rule, and our sons\\nand daughters would not be safe on the streets, even in broad daylight.\\nThe fear of man bringeth a snare, and if the christian wants\\nto pass through life without ever incurring the displeasure of the\\n63", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0065.jp2"}, "66": {"fulltext": "world, he will have a hard time getting- to heaven. Better be on the\\nLord s side and be popular with Him, than have the good will of\\nsome one of the world. Buy the truth, even though it cost the\\nenmity of the world.\\nNot only does the truth often cause a hubbub, but there\\nare also\\nFalse Witnesses Against the Truth.\\nSoon there were three witnesses, Envy, Superstition and Pick-\\nthank, who came forward to bear false testimony against Christian.\\nThese three men had each been grieved by what Christian had said\\nabout their mode of living. They didn t like him to tell them the\\ntruth, and just as soon as an opportunity afforded, they were ready\\nto bear false witness against him. These three men have many\\nchildren. When King Ahab wanted to get Naboth out of the way,\\nhe employed the services of false witnesses. False witnesses were\\nsoon ready to report on duty for casting Daniel into the lion s den.\\nJust as soon as it was discovered that the three Hebrew children did\\nnot bow the knee at the call of Nebuchadnezzar, there were busy\\nbodies to quickly run and report to the ruler the fact. It required\\nbut very little trouble to .find false witnesses to testify against\\nChrist. There are plenty of persons who regard their word as of\\nlittle consequence, and are ever ready to offer their services as\\nfalse witnesses. The world has in it many ready wicked mes-\\nsengers, who find great pleasure in collecting and distributing evil\\nreports. Some of the false witnesses against Christian were\\nprompted by Envy, and were the truth known, it would be dis-\\ncovered that in most cases, envy lies at the bottom of the evil re-\\nports. But, false witnesses are punished sooner or later. The\\nfalsehood of Jezebel against Naboth led to her being devoured by\\nthe dogs in the street where she had Naboth ].)ut to death. Chickens\\ncome home to roost, and many a treacherous Judas, has lived to\\nsorely regret his deceit and meanness Surely, the way of the\\ntransgressor is hard, and especially with false witnesses.\\nBut a few false witnesses cannot stop the preaching of Truth.\\nFaithful died in bearing testimony to the truth, but at once\\nHopeful rose up out of the very ashes of his fallen predecessor,\\nand became a companion with Christian in his pilgrimage.\\n64", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0066.jp2"}, "67": {"fulltext": "Truth is not dependent upon one wit-\\nness. Moses was a great leader, and yet,\\nhis death did not keep others from enter-\\ning- Canaan. Neither an Elijah nor an\\nElisha held the reins of the heavenly steed\\nthat carried Truth to the world and man-\\nkind. Noah and Enoch might walk with\\nGod, and yet, when once they ceased to\\nwalk with Him because of their departure\\nto a better land, that did not leave God\\nalone, for there were others to rise up and walk with Him. Poly-\\ncarp might be burned at the stake and Bland ina be cast into the aw-\\nful pit, but out of their very ashes rose up others to bear testimony\\nto the truth. The Great Teacher, Who spake as never man spake,\\nwas cut down as the great Vine, and yet, the truth did not die out, for\\nthere were other branches to spring forth from the true Vine. The\\nApostles might all be put to death in an unnatural manner, but the\\ntruth could not be wiped out of existence.\\nThe death of martyrs only kindled the flames to cause the truth\\nto shine forth all the more brilliantly. When once the light has\\ngone forth from the sun you can t stop it. You may build high walls,\\nyou may shut yourself up in a dark cell, yet, the light is all the while\\nshining, and no sooner is there a very small crevice, than the light\\nat once creeps in and introduces itself. And so it is with the divine\\nlight of Truth. Christ is not only the Way, but He is also the\\nTruth and the Light.\\nNeither is any one individual nor class of individuals able to ex-\\ntinguish that light. The nailing of Christ to the cross did not ex-\\ntinguish the light of the Truth, but rather spread abroad all the\\nmore that light, for the Cross of Christ has become that power of\\nsalvation, that, all- the light of sacred story, gathers round its\\nhead sublime, and from all parts of the world the Macedonian cry is\\n.being heard, Come over and help us At the death of our great\\nReformers, doubtless many thought the work would be crippled\\nBut, although mighty men have fallen, yet, the work goes on in the\\nname of the Lord, to the upbuilding of the Church of God.\\n65", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0067.jp2"}, "68": {"fulltext": "One blessed thought for such as buy the truth, is that before\\nthem is something that repays them for the difficulties they may\\nhave to encounter in the purchase of the same. Although Christian\\nwas compelled to walk about the fair weighted down with heavy\\nchains for sport to the people and although he was beaten and after-\\nward caged, yet, in all these things he could say with Paul, The\\nlight afflictions of the present worketh for me a far more exceeding\\nand eternal weight of glory. Yes, he could say, I reckon that the\\nsufferings of the present are not worthy to be compared with the\\nglory that shall be revealed in me, and it was not long afterward\\nthat he obtained a glimpse of what God had in store for him at the\\nend of his journey.\\nAlthough he was soon accosted by one named By-ends who\\ntried to persuade him to change his course, yet Christian could not\\nbe influenced. True, the religion of By-ends was very tempting,\\nfor said he to Christian, Tis true we differ somewhat in religion\\nfrom those of the stricter sort, yet, but in two small points First,\\nwe never strive against wind and tide. Secondly, we are always\\nmost zealous when Religion goes in his silver slippers. Yes, that\\nwould be a very easy religion to live. No trouble about battling\\nagainst sin, but merely allowing the enemy without interruption to\\ngo on and do as he pleased. Then, too, it meant to get money in any\\nway possible, no matter how it had been secured, and then allow tha t\\nsort of money to speak and rule. The religion was in the silver\\nslipper and, therefore, not very strict. By-ends, offered a religion\\nthat is most pleasing to many in other respects, for instead of rush-\\ning on in his journey in all kinds of weather, he would wait for the\\ntide and wind to carry him along without effort. Then, too, he would\\nnot travel when the roajis were muddy or rough, for he walks in his\\nsilver slippers, and would, therefore, travel only in the sunshine\\nand with applause.\\nDon t have a silver slipper religion\\nwhich takes you out in the Master s service only when the tide is in\\nyour favor, and when the road is smooth and the weather fair. With\\nthat sort of religion you will not make much progress along the way\\nof the Lord. If you worship God only on clear Sundays, and go to\\n66", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0068.jp2"}, "69": {"fulltext": "church only when the tide is in your favor, or rather when you\\nfeel like going-, then you will find the devil g-etting- in very good\\nwork, so far as your religion is concerned. Many, indeed, are the\\nmoral wrecks lying now along the shores of Time, because they did\\nthat which was right only when the tide and wind were in their\\nfavor, or when the weather was favorable to silver slipper re-\\nligion.\\nFar better to soil the slipper than to neglect the soul in ab-\\nsenting one s self from the place of worship because the weather may\\nhappen to be just a little inclement. The weather never effects\\nsilver slippers when the wearer of the same wants to attend any\\nworldly pleasures. No matter how cold the night, or how rainy the\\nevening, it is then not a matter of silver slippers but of desire to\\ngo. Surely, christian men and women should have at least as much\\ndevotion to their God as the men and women of the world have for\\nthe things which perish Christian, therefore, very wisely refused\\nto listen to any such pleas, and quickened his steps, lest the tempter\\nmight lure him away from the right path, the way of Truth. As a\\nresult of his devotion to the right cause, he soon found his way\\nleading to a most pleasant river, which David the king called, the\\nriver of God: but John, the river of the water of life. Here\\nChristian found things most delightful, for never before had he seen\\nsuch a lovely place. Not only did they drink of the waters, but on\\neither side of the river, were green trees with all kinds of fruit. The\\nchristian who is truly devoted to his faith in Christ will thus be\\nbrought into many places of soul refreshment, where the weary and\\nheavy laden find rest unto their souls. And, too, when resting in\\nplaces where the Lord leads us, we are perfectly safe, for he gives his\\nangels charge over us.\\nTrue, Satin is almost everywhere watching for an opportunity\\nto do mischief, and yet, he has very little opportunity to do it among\\nthose who gather together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.\\nHe may be able to look in through the keyhole or through the\\nwindows, but such as are pure in heart are buyers only of the\\nTruth. Such are safe in the presence of Jesus, and he maketh them\\nto lie down in green pastures beside the river of the waters of life.\\n67", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0069.jp2"}, "70": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0070.jp2"}, "71": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER VIII.\\nDOUBTING CASTLE.\\nTHERE are times apparently, in the experiences of all chris-\\ntians when they for the time become dissatisfied with their\\nway, and are ready to make a change for that which appears\\nbetter.\\nIt was thus with Christian and Hopeful. They were much dis-\\nheartened because of the way. So it was with the children of Israel.\\nAs they journeyed from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea, to com-\\npass the land of Edom, the soul of the people was much discouragfed\\nbecause of the way. Their discouragement led to their complaint,\\nas is often the case. Accordingly they indignantly asked of their\\nleader, Moses, saying, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of\\nEgypt to die in the wilderness\\nIt is wrong to complain and murmur against the ways of God,\\nfor it shows a lack of confidence in His ways, and for this want of\\nfaith and confidence, God sometimes punishes, as when He sent\\nfiery serpents among the people, which bit many.\\nLike Israel the Pilgrims wished for a better way. As, there-\\nfore, they went on in their journey, they saw on the side of the road\\na meadow, and over the fence a stile leading to it. This was a temp-\\ntation to the weary pilgrims, for the meadow looked so much more\\ninviting than the rough road they had been traveling. Hence Chris-\\ntian said to his companion, Let us go over into the meadow.\\nNo sooner had they crossed over than they saw before them a\\npath. This path seemed to lay along side the way in which they had\\nbeen traveling, and so they thought themselves perfectly safe in\\nwalking along the path since it was so much smoother than the\\nrough way. As they walked along they found it very easy to their\\nfeet.\\nHow like the experience of many others in life. The devil al-\\nways prepares a stile leading into By-path-meadows, and when\\n69", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0071.jp2"}, "72": {"fulltext": "once he succeds in getting christian men and women to depart from\\nthe right path he points them to a road that apparently lies just\\nalong-side the right way, and many are tempted, and blindly follow\\nhim. At first, they find the way, easy to their feet, for the be-\\nginning of sin is very pleasant. It is, indeed, not only inviting but\\ntempting, and many step aside because of the seeming happy change.\\nMany, alas, have said, Come, here is the easiest going But the\\nend thereof is destruction. Christian even saw a man going on be-\\nfore them, Vain Confidence, who invited them on, telling them\\nthey were in the right way that led to the Celestial City, but as night\\ncame on and it grew dark, suddenly the man before them disappeared\\nand they were left alone. They looked for and called to the man,\\nand at last, they saw a deep pit before them into which Vain-Con-\\nfidence had fallen. It was a pit made by the prince of those\\ngrounds to catch vain-glorious fools. Many have had similar ex-\\nperiences. They have followed some one who has offered them an\\neasy way to heaven, only to perish in the end. Some people object\\nto the plain Gospel, and want some other way of getting to heaven\\nthan that of the strict way. Accordingly they find another way\\nin which they travel. Vain-Confidence leads them on for a time,\\nbut before such get to heaven they find pits prepared for them.\\nFar better to travel the rough way, the way of self-denial and sacri-\\nfice, than the smooth way and lose all in the end. Never follow\\na leader who promises you smooth sailing to heaven, for you will\\nbe disappointed. Rather follow that leader\\nwho tells you of your faults, and who urges\\nyou to a more holy life.\\nMany who have sought an easy way\\nhave afterward been compelled to repent\\nsaying, Oh, that I had kept on my way\\nLike Christian, they say in seeming sur-\\nprise, Who could have thought that this\\npath should have led us out of the way\\nBut now came the sad part of the story.\\nThe departure was easy enough, but the re-\\nturn to the right way was not so easy. It\\n70", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0072.jp2"}, "73": {"fulltext": "was dark, and a flood had arisen so hig-h that in their return they\\nwere several times almost drowned.\\nIt was an easy thing for Esau to sell his brithright, but it wa\\nnot so easy to get it back. Poor man he sought a place for repent-\\nance and could nowhere find it.\\nThus the pilgrims became lost in the darkness, and weary and\\nalarmed at the storm, they found shelter near by, and there they sat\\ndown to await the break of day. But being weary they fell asleep.\\nJust as soon as the christian becomes weary of the journey, and sits\\ndown to wait for the day of sunshine, he will be very apt to fall asleep\\nspiritually, and like the Pilgrim of old, will awake to scenes most\\nunpleasant. Not far from where the pilgrims slept, was a castle\\ncalled,\\nDoubting Castle\\nthe owner whereof was Giant De pair. Every morning this great\\ngiant would rise up early and walk over his grounds to see if, per-\\nchance, some pilgrim had wandered upon his grounds, and if he\\nfound any such he would take them prisoners. In his rounds that\\nmorning he came across Christian and Hopeful. Going up to them\\nhe called them to awake. At this they were startled, for upon\\nopening their eyes they beheld standing before them one that terri-\\nfied them. Alas, their eyes were opened when too late.\\nMany are thus sleeping, feeling perfectly secure, but sooner or\\nlater their eyes will be opened to that which will be most alarming.\\nSickness, or some sudden calamity, will befall them and. then will\\nfollow the regret. Suddenly summoned to the bar of God in their\\nsinful condition, how will such stand the judgment of God 1 What\\nwill they do at the swelling of the Jordan\\nChristian and Hopeful were quickly driven on before the Giant\\ninto Doubting Castle. There they were lodged in a very dark\\ndungeon. After being left there for some time without anything to\\neat or drink, they received a visit from the Giant, who came upon\\nthem with a club and most sorely beat the pilgrims until they were-\\nnot able to help themselves. Then, he left them in all their misery\\nfor a day or two, when he visited them a second time, advising them\\nto kill themselves, and thus be saved from all this torture. After he\\n71", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0073.jp2"}, "74": {"fulltext": "left, the prisoners began to talk over their troubles, and at last\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0Christian, discourag-ed and despondent, turned to Hopeful saying,\\nWhat shall we do? The life we now live is miserable. For my\\npart I know not whether it is best to live thus, or to die.\\nThen he added My soul chooseth strangling rather than life,\\nand the grave is more easy for me than this dungeon.*\\nWe are reminded of poor old Job, when during a fit of despon-\\ndency he said of life, I loathe it; I would not live always let me\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0:jilone, for my days are vanity. But worse still was the advice Job s\\nwife gave him when she said to him, Curse God and die. In other\\nwords, Commit suicide. Thus, there are times in life when the\\ndiscouraged ask the same question. Why do I live Does it pay\\nto live Would I not be better off by blowing out the candle\\nSuch promptings are the whispers of the devil in the ear of the\\ndisheartened. Bat to yield to such whispers, is not only sinful in the\\nextreme, but the act of a coward.\\nIn all cases of suicide on the part of the head of the family, none\\nis meaner than to destroy self for fear of coming to want. Let such\\nrather boldly breast the slings and arrows of adverse fortune, and\\npresent the strong arm and a devoted heart to wife and children.\\nSuch suicides are purely selfish, and there is not one single redeem-\\ning feature, but rather a bold confession of cowardice and baseness,\\nto say nothing of the sin against God. It is well written,\\nWhen all the blandishments of life are gone.\\nThe cowai d sneaks to death: the brave live on.\\nInstead of asking, Is life worth living it were better to ask\\ncalmly, Is death worth dying and in reply to that question there\\nis a ready answer, NO; it is not worth dying until one has finished\\nMs life s work, and has well earned the grave in which his body is to\\niie, when once the life has departed in its natural way. Then, and\\nonly then, is death worth djing.\\nNo wonder Hopeful rebuked Christian for his temporary and mo-\\nmentary seeming insanity, by reminding him of the great sin of which\\nlie spoke. My brother, said Hopeful, thou talkest of ease in the\\ngrave; but hast thou forgotten the hell whither for certain all such\\n-deliberate self destroying persons go\\n72", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0074.jp2"}, "75": {"fulltext": "The better and wiser course for such despondent persons to pur-\\nsue is for them to consider the future and its possibilities, rather\\nthan the sad past with its discourag-ements. Besides, a glimpse at\\nthe past would remind many such of their triumphs amid their trials^\\nChristian seems to have forgotten the triumphs of the past. At one-\\ntime he was attacked by Apollyon, when death seemed inevitable\\nbut he was conqueror, and triumphed over his discouragements. He\\nalso forgot the lions, which he thought would tear him to pieces^\\nbut when once he came up to them he found them chained. He seems\\nalso to have forgotten all about the Valley of the Shadow of\\nDeath, when at every moment death appeared sure. And yet, with.\\nall these trials, he still lived, for he had triumphed over all. Why\\nnot, therefore, try to triumph rather than suffer defeat like a coward?\\nThere are times when things don t go just as we might wish\\nthem, but instead of surrendering, and thereby showing our weak-\\nness, let us rather be like brave soldiers. Don t be a coward, but\\nquit you like men.\\nThen, too, it might be well for many to consider a little mora\\ncarefully just what often leads to such fits of despondency.\\nIt is not real active service, but rather when one gets out of the\\nright way. Christian never before had any such thoughts of self\\ndestruction. His dispondency arose, only after he had stepped aside\\nfrom the way of the Lord.\\nThe devil is the one to prompt self destruction. Had Elijah,\\nstood boldly up for the God he had so forcibly revealed at the time\\nwhen he called down fire from heaven, he would not have been ask-\\ning God that he might die. But, fleeing from the presen ^e of God\\nand duty, and hiding away in idleness in the mountains of Horeb, het\\nthere preferred death to life. Get out of your cave, out into the sun^\\nshine of God s vineyard of active service and duty, and you will not.\\nhave time to be thinking about dying, but will rather think how you:\\ncan best live and serve. Look about you and see the many demands-\\nwhich appeal to you, in the home, in the church, and as a citizen.\\nYou owe much to others. See to it then that you fulfil all your obli-\\ngations before you talk about dying.\\n73", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0075.jp2"}, "76": {"fulltext": ".P^-;\\nChristian and Hopeful, however,\\nwere given a further trial in Doubt\\nJ ing- Castle, for the Giant paid them\\na third visit and finding them still\\nalive, he took them out into a yard\\nand there showed them the bones of\\nmen who had been slain, and told\\n/-f -/^N. X them that in a week s time he would\\ntear them in pieces as he had done to others before them. After he\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0departed, the pilgrims thought much about what they had seen and\\nheard until at last they lay down to sleep. At midnight they began\\nto pray, and continued in prayer until almost daybreak. What a\\nfool I have been, said Christian, to lie in this dungeon, when I\\nmay as well walk at liberty I\\nHopeful looked at him in astonishment wondering what he\\nmeant.\\nI have\\na key in my bosom called Promise,\\nthat will, I am persuaded, open any lock in Doubting Castle.\\nWhat a revelation and what good news I At once they took the\\nkey and began to try at the dungeon door, and to their happy sur-\\nprise, the bolt turned and the door opened. Thus, at each door they\\nused the key and with bat little difficulty each door was opened, until\\nthey found themselves at the outer gate. Here it was a little more\\ndifficult, but at last the bolt moved, and the gate opened.\\nMany others are locked up in Castles of Doubt and despon-\\ndency, out of which they might go if only they would use the proper\\nmeans. A few more prayers to Him from whence com eth our help\\nwould result in opening many closed castles and prisons of soul\\ntorture. Many are to-day in dungeons of despair who could find\\nmuch relief, if they would not be too proud to ask God for help.\\nSome only laugh at the thought of prayer, but experience has taught\\nmany its blessings.\\nToo frequently prayer is the last resort. People will try all\\nmanner of experiments and spend much time in endeavoring to\\nescape from their troubles, until, amid discouragements, some would\\n74", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0076.jp2"}, "77": {"fulltext": "rather die than live. One stroke comes after the other, and one\\nvisitation of trouble follows the other, like the visits of the Giant\\nto Christian. Each day a Giant Despair adds new blows, till death\\nitself seems to stare them in the face. Prayer, however, has caused\\nmany such to say as did Christian, What a fool I have been to lie\\nin a dung-eon, when I may as well walk at liberty. The great\\ntrouble with many is they have locked themselves up in the room of\\ntheir little self until the door of Doubt has become sealed, and there\\nappears to be no way of escape. Their eyes are blinded to all the\\nprecious Promises of God. Promises why yes, take down God s\\nword as it lies neglected and dust covered, take it down from its rest-\\ning place. Blow off the dust and look within for its rich Promises.\\nGod s promises know of no such thing as Despair. God is love,\\nand His promises are rounds in the ladder up which we climb to\\nheaven. Are you down at the foot of the ladder? Then begin\\nclimbing by taking hold of God s Promises. Hold fast the faith.\\nTake strong hold and press toward the mark. You will never get to\\nheaven by sitting down in the Castle of Despair. Resting in such\\nplaces is to rest upon another s grounds, who will sooner or later\\ntake you prisoner, and in his dungeon you will have to suffer the\\npenalty of his sentence. The way of the transgressor is hard, and\\nsuch as will walk in that way need not complain if they are beaten\\nwith many stripes, and robbed of all their possessions.\\nThe misfortune with some is they allow themselves to be led on\\nby those who are known as Vain Confidence. These men and wo-\\nmen are so sure of their own safety in the way of the world that they\\neven laugh at such as would do good. Let them see a man endeavor\\nto do that which is right, and they ridicule his faith in the Lord. If\\nhe is seen to go to the house of God for worship, he is laughed at for\\nhis piety. If he spends bis evenings at home with his wife and\\nchildren, he is held up as one who is tied to his wife s apron\\nstring. There are many just such characters of Vain-Confidence,\\nwho deride in others whatever is noble and good.\\nMany a happy home has thus been destroyed, and many a once\\ntrue follower of God has been led away from Him by this very class\\nof people. If there are any such men or women among your associ-\\n75", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0077.jp2"}, "78": {"fulltext": "ates, you had better abandon their company at once, for they will\\nsooner or later prove your ruin. They will lead you on until at last\\nthey suddenly disappear. You look for them and they are gone.\\nYou call but receive no answer. They have either fallen into the pit\\nthemselves, or having led you into it, they forsake you. You want\\na friend, some assistance, but they are conspicuously absent. Re-\\nmember, yoa are in a sense, your own best friend, and far better\\nplease yourself by doing that which is right, than follow a multi-\\ntude to do evil, for when once you are in trouble, your old friends\\nwho led you into pits of misfortune and castles of despair, will not\\nhelp you. Such persons you will do well to call, not friends, but\\nonly acquaintances, and the less you know of them by way of associ-\\nation, the better it will be for you in the end.\\nIt may all be pleasing at first, but it is well to profit by the sad\\nending of such as have not been wise.\\nNo wonder that Christian when he had safely escaped from the\\nmiserable Castle was moved to warn others. His experience had\\nproven so very bitter that he was unwilling for any others to share\\nhis sad fate. He, therefore, erected a pillar and upon the side of it\\nhad engraven, Over this stile is the way to Doubting Castle, which\\nis kept by Giant Despair, who despiseth the King of the Celestial\\nCity, and seeks to destroy his holy pilgrims.\\nGod has thus had planted many sign boards along the waj* of\\nlife, to warn men. His holy word is filled with sentences which tell\\ntravelers of dangerous places. The way of the drunkard, the glutton,\\nthe licentious, the transgressor, the lukewarm, the backslider, and a\\nhundred other dangerous paths, are all clearly pointed out in God s\\nholy Word, and the traveler to the Celestial City will do well to study\\ndiligently his Guide Book and guard against the easy ])aths, for\\nthey but lead to despair.\\nReader, how are you conducting yourself Are you a professed\\nfollower of God Then do not complain because you have a few\\ntrials in life. Don t look for some easy way. Don t complain\\nbecause you have too much to do for the Lord. Few Christians have\\never suffered from doing too much for God and the church. Many,\\nhowever, have suffered from doing too little. If you are in Doubting\\n76", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0078.jp2"}, "79": {"fulltext": "Castle, on the grounds of the enemy, then get out of it at once, for\\nshould death overtake you in that Castle, where would you belong\\nThe Lord would not be likely to look for any of His people in that\\nabode. Falling at such places, the devil would but naturally come\\nto claim his own. Take heed, therefore, to your steps, and looking\\nunto Jesus as your Leader, hear Him say unto you, follow me.\\n77", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0079.jp2"}, "80": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER IX.\\nATHEISM\u00e2\u0080\u0094 SCEPTICISM\u00e2\u0080\u0094 INFIDELITY.\\nIN his journey, Christian met with a man who was an Atheist.\\nAtheist, like many others of his tribe, was no doubt miserable,\\nand was anxious to meet with some one who thought as he did.\\nMisery loves company and goes forth in search of like conditions.\\nThus it is with many who are bold in infidelity and unbelief. They\\nare not at ease their conscience is ill at rest. Something within\\nthem seems to disturb their quiet repose, and they roam about in\\nsearch of some one who may happen to believe as they claim to in\\ntheir false belief. Accordingly, they are ever ready to start an argu-\\nment in hope of winning some one on their side for company s sake.\\nIt was so with the man who met with Christian. At once he in-\\nquired of Christian whither he was going, and when he answered,\\nwe are going to mount Zion, then\\nAtheist fell into a very great laughter\\nThis seems to be the almost general practice of his followers\\never since. Laughter and derision, form in a large measure the\\npoints of argument with many of the infidels and unbelievers of to-\\nday. They point to the time of Creation and because some things\\nare not in accordance with their own limited understanding, they\\nlaugh at the works, and ridicule the idea of Christian belief in God s\\nworks of creation. The Flood in the eyes of the infidel is a thing of\\nridicule, and they but laugh at those who believe in the Sacred ac-\\ncount of the Deluge. The history of the parting of the waters of the\\nRed Sea by the Divine command of God is laughed at by such men.\\nThey would either destroy the whole account, or else explain it by\\nmere chance of a sudden change of winds whereby the waters parted.\\nAnd so all through the Word of God, they would explain away\\nall miraculous accounts by tlieir argument of laughter and ridicule.\\nWhen Christian asked in surprise why Atheist laughed, the answer\\n78", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0080.jp2"}, "81": {"fulltext": "he received was, I lauoh to see what ignorant persons you are to\\ntake upon you so tedious a journey, and yet are likely to have noth-\\ning- but your travel for your pains.\\nAt first thought it might seem that such men are harmless, and\\ntheir laughter but empty dreams, but upon a more careful con-\\nsideration of the results of such men s impious profession, we behold\\na very grave subject, demanding the most serious consideration.\\nThere are a number of reasons why Infidelity and Scepticism are\\ndangerous aud most undesirable. First of all, they tend to destroy\\nthe real truth.\\nSuch men would trample under foot the very Truth itself, God s\\nWord. They would make of it merely a book printed and sold for\\nthe money that is in it, like any other book. So far as the Inspira-\\ntion of the Bible is concerned, they only laugh at such an idea. And\\nyet, were they to attempt to write anything. like the Bible, they would\\neither be converted to God in such an effort, or else would be\\nthoroughly disgusted at their utter failure to reproduce anything\\nlike the inspired Word of God. It is that very fact that makes the\\nBible a book unique. No one is able to write a book like it, because\\nit is God s Word, and God s thoughts are not man s thoughts, nor is\\nGod s book man s work. The Story of Ruth as it is written in the\\nBible is a story that no man is capable of reproducing. Any effort\\nto write a story like it would be as fruitless as an effort to reproduce\\nupon canvas a sunset.\\nOur very best artists are able to produce something like the sun-\\nset in a faint picture, but nothing at all equal to the sunset itself.\\nAnd so it is with an effort to write either the ,^__\\nwhole of the Bible or a single part of it. The\\nend of such an eft ort would be only a pre-\\nposterous undertaking.\\nBesides, what better than the Bible does the\\nunbeliever and infidel offer They would de-\\nstroy the real Truth, without giving anything\\nelse instead, in any manner whatever, to com-\\npensate for that which they take away. Even\\nwere the Truth of the word of God but weak and\\n79", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0081.jp2"}, "82": {"fulltext": "imperfect, yet, it would be better than nothing, and nothing is what\\nthe infidel gives. A stick or cane may be imperfect in its execution,\\nand yet, it is a support for the aged and infirm, and helps them on in\\ntheir journey. It would be a mean man who would dare to knock out\\nfrom under an old man the cane on which he had been leaning, and\\nlet him fall helpless by the roadside. Is it not equally base in any\\nman who comes along trying to destroy the Truth, knocking thus\\nfrom under the aged the very support which has been their help all\\nalong the way of life? Many men and women have gone leaning\\nupon God s Word down to the grave, and the Bible has been unto\\nthem a support. Others are leaning upon this same support, and for\\nany man to come along and endeavor to knock out from under them\\nthat very staff is to say the least, base, and the work of a mean per-\\nson. If a man prefers to drag along helplessly to the grave and death\\nwithout any hope, then let him go alone, and not endeavor to drag\\ndown others with him to heU. If such men prefer to sail across the\\ngreat sea of life in darkness, to land at last at the haven of Despair,\\nthen let them be content to be wrecked alone, without trying to de-\\nstroy the Lighthouse which lights others, enabling them safely to\\nreach the haven of rest. If they find pleasure in groping for their\\nway in the darkness of Chance, then let them not be vile enough to\\ntear to pieces the Chart which others have studied, and which has\\ngiven them their moorings, and enabled them to find the true way,\\nChrist Jesus. If the infidel and sceptic prefer, in their own strength,\\nto steer their boat across the great deep, then let them do so without\\nendeavoring to plan for the removal of Christ from such as have\\ntaken Him as their Great Pilot. If they are willing to be ship-\\nwrecked of all hope, let them not be so base as to attempt the destruc-\\ntion of the life-boats of others.\\nSuch men, legally, would be subject to the laws of the land, and\\nif because in spiritual things they are allowed for a time to escape\\nthe just condemnation for their offences, they should at least from a\\nS3nse of common courtesy and propriety, not try to harm others, even\\nthough for the time they may happen to escape punishment. Until\\nthey have something better to offer, it were better, yes, more honor-\\nable, for such men to keep quiet, and not thrust their offences in the\\n80", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0082.jp2"}, "83": {"fulltext": "faces of others who are perfectly happy and satisfied with the good\\nold way and the good old paths.\\nWhat must we think of a man who would take away the bread\\nfrom the very mouth of the hungry, without giving something better\\ninstead You would feel disposed to call such a man a thief and\\nvillain. But what would you call a man who sneeringly snatches the\\nvery Bread of Life from such as hunger and thirst after righteous-\\nness, giving instead only ashes\\nInfidelity, in short, is nothing more nor less than a hurricane.\\nIts chief mission seems to be that.of destruction. It tears down,\\nwithout attempting to build up. Unable to create, it contents itself\\nin destroying.\\nThere is another argument against infidelity in that it tends to\\nincrease crime by attempting to overthr ow the doctrine of future re-\\nwards and punishment. Even if there were no future beyond the\\ngrave, yet, the very thought of future rewards and punishment tends\\nto check crime, and increase virtue. Take away all thought of a\\nfuture beyond that of this present life, and there will be many more\\nto turn their thoughts toward iniquity and crime. Society, instead\\nof being elevated, would become more and more polluted and cor-\\nrupt. It is the fear of future punishment that puts a check upon\\ncrime, and keeps many transgressors from doing things of which\\nthey would otherwise be guilty. Conscience is a great power for\\nchecking evil doers, but fear coupled to that power gives a wonderful\\nimpetus for the bridling of evil passions.\\nTake away all thought of God in the world, and all fear of future\\npunishment for the wicked, and you open the very flood gates into\\nsociety, through which will come pouring a torrent of vice and crime.\\nSociety would soon become so honey-combed with evil that in a short\\ntime the very heart of it would be consumed by the disease of iniquity\\nto the forfeiting of its very best things, and the wrecking of many\\nlives. From a prisoner in Pentonville prison, London, came this let-\\nter. I am one of thirteen infidels. Where are my friends Four\\nhave been hanged. One became a Christian. Six have been\\nsentenced to various terms of imprisonment, and one is now confined\\nin a cell just over my head, sentenced to imprisonment for life.\\n8i", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0083.jp2"}, "84": {"fulltext": "These few words very forcibly tell of the pernicious effects of in-\\nfidel teachings and sentiments. Out of thirteen infidels twelve suf-\\nfered for breaking the laws of their country. One escaped from\\nbreaking the civil laws but how In what manner did he differ from\\nthe other twelve He became a Christian. Not that all infidels are\\ntransgressors of the law. No one would for a moment so argue, but\\ninfidel teachings tend to make transgressors of the law, and spread\\ncrime, for reasons already stated. The general tendency of infidelity\\nand scepticism is evil. If you sow to the wind you can only reason-\\nably expect to reap the whirlwind. Gather together all the crimi-\\nnals of the land, and see the large percentage of that number that are\\nsceptical in their belief. The letter from the infidel prisoner would\\ndoubtless explain the secret history of many other criminals.\\nFew men have ever had their morals elevated by infidelity. But\\nvery many have had their morals most decidedly lowered through its\\nteachings.\\nOne of the great teachers of this pernicious doctrine ridiculed\\nthe idea of an infinite God making failures, in that some of His\\ncreatures are eternally lost. He argued that if there be a God, he\\nhas made a mistake in the works of his creation in thus creating an\\nimperfect being. But it is not God s fault that some are lost. This\\nsame person, who criticised God for his mistakes, says, If I have\\na soul, I ve got to save it.\\nAlthough God helps a man, and in a sense God saves the soul,\\n(for salvation is of the Lord,) yet, in another sense, man must help\\nto save that soul, for if man so desires, he can destroy his soul.\\nFrom the infidel s own argument, therefore, man can save his soul\\nor he can destroy it, and it is no fault of God that some prefer to lose\\ntheir soul. As, therefore, the infidel writer says, If I have a soul\\nI ve got to save it, he should have completed the thought along his\\nown line of argument and added, If I have a soul and lose it, it is\\nmy own fault.\\nThe doctrine of future punishment, therefore, is no indication of\\na failure on the part of God to create a perfect being, but only a re-\\nsult of man s own failure to keep pure and good as God made him\\nThe bridge may be perfectly secure and carry safely across large\\n82", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0084.jp2"}, "85": {"fulltext": "multitudes. But the safety and even perfection\\nof the bridge does not prevent a man from leap-\\ning over the side of the structure and hurling-\\nhimself into the deep waters beneath. So God\\nhas made man a free and independent creature^\\nV to do good or evil. God has given man free-\\nM dom above the beasts of the fields or the fowls\\n^^^1^ of the air, and God has further given man the\\n^^_j^ advice to do good, and has warned him against\\nevil, but man is left to make his own choice. Had God made man\\nthat he could not have sinned, then God would have robbed man of\\nhis independence and freedom. Man would then have been only a\\npiece of machinery, a mere tool.\\nAnother argument against infidelity is that it undermines a\\nnation s safety. Infidel France, which is pointed to by one of our in-\\nfidel writers as an illustration of the progress of a nation that is in-\\nfidel in its teachings, is a very good illustration of the fact that infi-\\ndelity undermines a nation s safety.\\nLook back into the history of France at a time when infidelity\\nwas greatest, what was its evil influence The fourth of October,\\n1789, when such men gathered together at Clubs and plotted the\\nBread War by forbidding the bakers to bake bread, was but the be-\\nginning of the fruits of infidelity to that country. The next morning\\nParis was alive with powers threatening the overthrow of that nation.\\nWhen, therefore, an infidel writer says, T find just in proportion as\\npeople have been religious, in proportion they have gone back to\\nbarbarism, his statement is not true. The. opposite, however, is a\\nfact, namely, in proportion as a nation is irreligious, that nation\\nborders on to barbarism. The Reign of Terrors in France is a sad\\nblot for infidelity and its dangerous teachings. Let Atheism and In-\\nfidelity rule this land of ours for a few years, and we, too, would re-\\nturn to barbarism, and would be ushered into a terrible Reign of\\nTerrors that would ooak our land with human blood. What has\\ninfidelity ever done for the betterment of society, or the elevation of\\nmorals What has it done for the care of suffering humanity, by\\nway of looking after the poor, the sick or the aged\\n83", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0085.jp2"}, "86": {"fulltext": "And when such persons come down to the hour of death, what is\\ntheir comfort or consolation What hope have they Alas I they\\nare without both God and hope, and are left to die in misery and re-\\nmorse. When Col. Ethan Allen, a notorious infidel, was asked by\\nhis sick and dying daughter, Father I am about to die shall I be-\\nlieve the principles which you have taught me, or shall I believe\\nwhat mother taught me, the infidel after waiting a few moments to\\ncalm his remorse for his evil teachings, answered, saying, Believe\\nwhat your mother has taught you.\\nThere are many others who would not want their children to die\\nin the belief of their own teachings.\\nSuch a father once went to Annapolis for his son who had just\\nreturned from Libby prison. He found his son dying, and was asked\\nby the chaplain to inform him of his nearness to death. But the\\nfather refused, saying to the chaplain, You tell him, and especially\\ntell him to prepare for the future. I have been an unbeliever, a\\nwicked man but my son s mother is a Christian, and he had -better\\nfollow her.\\nWhat then is there in infidelity that is worth possession In life\\nit is deadly poison and dangerous in its influence. In death it is\\nonly wretched remorse to the soul.\\nWe are not surprised, therefore, at Voltaire, who, one day when\\nhe had dining with him two other infidels, stopped them at once from\\nconversing about atheism, saying to them, Wait till my servants\\nhave withdrawn: I do not wish to have my throat cut to-night.\\nSome of these men remind one of the man who manufactured a\\ncertain kind of patent medicine which he claimed very good for a\\ncertain kind of sickness among children. His own child took sick of\\nthat very disease, and when asked why he did not give his child some\\nof the medicine he had manufactux^ed for that disorder, he replied,\\nsaying, I make that medicine to sell, and not to use. So it is with\\nmuch of the teaching of infidels and sceptics. They are ready to\\nbroadcast it, but very few would be willing to feed their own children\\nupon that kind of poisonous doctrine.\\nUpon all infidel barges might well be written the inscription,\\nWithout God and without hope and woe is that parent who would\\n84", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0086.jp2"}, "87": {"fulltext": "place his own child upon such a deadly barg-e to be carried on to the\\nrapids of darkness and despair. Scepticism aad infidelity are but\\nconfusing- and deadly. Hume, the historian once said, I seem\\naffrighted and confounded with the solitude in which I am placed by\\nmy philosophy. When I look abroad, on every side I. see dispute,\\ncontradiction, and distraction. When I turn my eye inward, I find\\nnothing but doubt and ig-norance. Where am I From what cause\\ndo I derive my existence To what condition shall I return I am\\nconfounded with questions. I begin to fancy myself in a very de-\\nplorable condition, environed with darkness on every side.\\nHume s philosophy of scepticism and infidelity did not give him\\nvery much light, but, extinguishing from him every star of hope,\\nand severing the ties which bound him to his Creator, his miserable\\nphilosophy left him to swing out upon an ocean of darkness, uncer-\\ntainty and despair.\\nAt the funeral of one such more recently, strong men declared\\nthat nothing had ever appealed to them so strongly before for re-\\nligion and Christianity as the utter desolation and hopelessness of\\nthe family of mourners. Not a word of consolation, not a soothing\\nnote of music, not a prayer for sympathy or help or mercy.\\nThus, with no hope for future union, no consolation in Christian\\nfaith, no solace in religion, the utter loneliness and dreariness which\\nenveloped the bereaved, was something which words cannot express.\\nIn view of all this, it is not only wise, but sensible to say the\\nleast, to abandon all talk of scepticism and infidelity, and to take\\nhold of that which gives hope and salvation. The religion of Christ\\nis good for little children, causing them to grow up an honor to their\\nparents. That religion is also good for our youth, making of them\\nnoble citizens, and a blessing to morals and society. The religion of\\nChrist, is good for old age, and enables such as have lived through\\nlife, to review the past with the sweet satisfaction of knowing they\\nhave not lived in vain, and of the comfortable assurance of everlast-\\ning bliss with the redeemed at last in glory above. Better even\\nhate the world, home and friends who are so minded, than follow\\ntheir teachings, and hate God. Let God be true, and others liars.", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0087.jp2"}, "88": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0088.jp2"}, "89": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER X.\\nOVER THE RIVER INTO THE CELESTIAL CITY.\\nTHE present life is often not very encouraging- to the Christian.\\nIt frequently so happens that the wicked prosper, while the\\nchristian has his trials and discouragements. But there-\\nremaineth a rest for the people of God. Dives may have his good\\nthings in this present life, while Lazarus has his misfortunes, but\\nthere comes a day when God properly adjusts all things, each one\\nreceiving his reward according to his own just deserts. Paul had a.\\nhard time of it all along the line of his christian experience, but he\\npressed toward the mark. Onward is the call to the folio wers^\\nof God, with the injunction not to grow weary in well doing.\\nSo it was with Christian. Had he confined his vision simply to\\nthe present, and lost all sight of the future, then he might well have\\nbecome discouraged in his journey, for from the very outstart he had\\nnothing but discouragements. He had no sooner gotten up on the\\nmount than he was compelled to descend again into the valley. But\\nthe journey has an end. Life is not a continuous circle. It not only\\nhas a beginning, but an end, and the end of the righteous is rest\\nand peace. Says Bunyan, I saw in my dream that by this time\\nthe pilgrims were over the Enchanted ground, and were entering into\\nthe Coimiry of Beulah.\\nHere the air was very sweet and pleasant. Not only no sickness ther\u00c2\u00a9\\nbut a place of singing. Being beyond the valley of death, it was\\nalso a place of perfect safety. Surely, it must be near the end of the\\njourney. So it was, for from that place they obtained a glimpse of\\nthe City of God. There they might well sing\\nO Beulah land, sweet Beulah land,\\nAs on thy highest mount I stand,\\nI look away across the sea,\\nWhere mansions are prepared for me.\\nAnd view the shining glory shore,\\nMy heaven, my home forevermore.\\n87", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0089.jp2"}, "90": {"fulltext": "Here also the contract between the Bride and the Bridegroom was\\nTj^newed. There they heard voices from heaven saying: Say ye\\nto the daughter of Zion behold, his reward is with him.\\nSo the christian will at last enter the land of Beulah, for the\\nrprophet says Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken neither\\n-shall thy land any more be termed Desolate, but shaH be called the\\n3and of Beulah, for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall\\nbe married. As a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons\\nmarry thee and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall\\n\u00c2\u00b1hy God rejoice over thee.\\nTraveling in such a Beulah land, the christian may well sing\\nThe zephyrs seem to float to me.\\nSweet sounds of heaven s melody.\\nAnd, as the redeemed of the Lord continue their journey amid\\n=such rapturous scenes, they exclaim,\\nThe Saviour comes, and walks with me,\\nAnd sweet communion here have we\\nHe genlly leads me by His hand,\\nFor this IS heaven s border-land.\\nAs the aged Christian lifted up his eyes, lo Heaven was now\\nT^ery near. His step may have been feeble, while his trembling hand\\nheld firmly to the cane. His cheek doubtless hollow with age and\\ntrials, while his eyes were sunken and dim.\\nBetween the Pilgrims and the City of God, lay the Jordon. At\\nfirst, they were timid to enter, but as they by faith stepped into the\\nriver of death, the waters parted, and they\\npassed over safely. The less fearful the\\n-dying christian is, the more shallow are\\nthe waters of the Jordon of death. But\\nafter all, the river of death is a blessing,\\nfor it is the dressing room of heaven.\\nThe soul enters the river on this side in\\ncorruption, and is raised on the other\\nside in incorruption. It enters on this\\nside in weakness, and is raised on the\\nother side in strength. It enters on this\\nside a natural body, and is raised on the\\n^Si^i\\ns\\nmJ^S\\nr^\\nJ^\\nWT^^W\\nfr^\\nHI\\ni\u00c2\u00a3 ^Btljf\\n^r\\nIJB|\\\\^^B||gL^\\n23\\nB^^^Hr^^IhH\\nkJ\\nnHpSHn^y\\nw^4\\nmISi -^ImI\\nt-=:\\nj|\\n^I^Hs^iSs^^H^B\\nr\\n^^li^^JI^IHBI\\nS\\n^m\\nP^W\\n88", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0090.jp2"}, "91": {"fulltext": "other side a spiritual body. That river of death washes away allthe^\\ninfirmities of the believer in Christ. No need of a cane on the otheir\\nside, for the christian comes forth redeemed, washed in the blood of\\nthe Lamb. As we look upon the old structure of the body on this\\nside of the river, we see the silver cord loosed, the golden bowl\\nbroken, the pitcher broken at the fountiin, the wheel broken at the\\ncistern. But looking again on the other side of the river of deaths\\nwe behold the dust returning to the earth as it was, while the spirit\\nreturns to God who gave it. For we know that if our earthly\\nhouse of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a\\nhouse not made with hands, eternal in the heavens\\nScarcely had Christian come forth from the Jordon, than he was\\nmet by angels who had come to welcome him into the Celestial City.\\nThey began to tell of the glory of Zion,~the tree of life, and of the\\nbeauty of the place in general. No sickness no sorrow no tears;\\nno death. Former things passed away. Reap what you have\\nsown. Oh, what tidings of joy greeted the pilgrim just beyond the\\nriver Some christians have hard times here, but a happy surprise-\\nawaits them just beyond the river.\\nAt last the pilgrims reached the gate of the Celestial City. Over\\nit was written in letters of gold, Blessed are they that do his com-\\nmandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may\\nenter in through the gates into the city.\\nStanding thus\\nbefore the Golden Gate,\\nthe pilgrims sent in their certificate, which they had received at th\\nWicket Gate.\\nThen the King commanded to open the gate, that the righteous-,\\nmay enter in.\\nBut as they entered a most wonderful change took place. Their\\nraiment shone like gold. On their heads were crowns, while harps\\nwere placed in their hands. Heaven itself seemed to rejoice at the\\nentrance of souls into that heavenly city, for the bells in the city\\nrang, and there was rejoicing everywhere. Added to all this there\\nwas a grand chorus from the redeemed Enter ye into the joy o\u00c2\u00a3\\nthy Lord, and the gates were closed.\\n89", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0091.jp2"}, "92": {"fulltext": "Beholding the grand spectacle he did, it was not much wonder\\nthat Bunyan wrote saying, I wished myself among them.\\nWith such a prize before the christian, he may well press for-\\nward through all manner of perils and misfortunes, for at the end of\\nhis journey he will be more than repaid for all the sacrifices made,\\nand the sufferings endured for the cause of Christ. Even with this\\nmost glorious account, as given by Kunyan, of the end of the re-\\ndeemed in glory, yet Not half has been told.\\nWould that this beautiful story might end thus, and like it, all\\nlives. But, as Bunyan stood gazing, he looked around, and behold,\\nIgnorance came up to the river, and crossed over. He went\\nalone to the gate. No angels came forward to greet him. As he read\\nthe inscription over the gateway, he began to knock. An angel ap-\\npeared and asked him for his certificate. In his confusion and em-\\nbarassment he began to feel in his bosom, but found none.\\nThe two shining ones who met Christian and Hopeful now ap-\\npeared not to accompany Ignorance into the City, as they had\\nChristian and Hopeful, but they bound him hand and foot. Then\\nflying off through the air, they carried him by the gate of heaven to\\nthe door in the side of a hill, and put him there. And Bunyan\\nadds, Then I saw that there was a way to hell even from the gate of\\nheaven, as well as from the City of Destruction. Ignorance had\\nlaughed at Christian and Hopeful in their endeavors, but now in the\\nend he discovered when, alas, too late, that they were right and he\\nwi ong.\\nLook then, if you will at the end of the righteous. Like the pil-\\ngrims they finally reach the Celestial City, and enter through the\\ngates into glor3^\\nWhen Ignorance was asked on what ground he expected to enter\\nthe celestial gate he answered, On the ground of morality, of being\\na good liver, and an honest man. But the true follower of God\\npleads only the merits of Jesus Christ for his entrance into that\\nblessed city, for there is no other name given among men, whereby\\nwe can be saved.\\nHowever, with the pardon of sins by faith in t ^e Lord Jesus\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2Christ, then at the gate of heaven the christian hears the plaudit,\\nso", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0092.jp2"}, "93": {"fulltext": "Well done. Come ye blessed of my father. Then with palms\\nof victory and crowns of glory, they sing-, Holy, holy, holy is the\\nLord.\\nNew joys are ever being added. We look upon the faces once\\nmarked with care, but now all the lines are removed. Faces that\\nwere once pale and sickly, are now a picture of the bloom of youth.\\nBodies that were once affiicted, are now without spot of blemish.\\nThere, amid unspeakable joys, they sing, not the songs of earth, but\\nthe Song of Moses and the Lamb, saying, BJessing, and honor, and\\nglory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and\\nunto the Lamb, for ever and ever.\\nOh then what raptured greetings\\nOn heaven s happy shore\\nWhat knitting severed friendships up,\\nWhere partings are no more\\nThe mere description of a place, affords a vague conception of\\nwhat the reality is. Neither artist nor poet can do justice to a sun-\\nset, a rainbow or a waterfall. It is like trying to describe to a blind\\nman the beauties of a landscape, or the glories of the Grand Canyon\\nof the Yellowstone. So in regard to Heaven. Eye hath not seen,\\nand no one has returned to tell us of that at which we are now be-\\nholding through a glass darkly. Indeed, we are tempted to ex-\\nclaim as did the poet, Strange, is it not, that, of the myriads who\\nbefore us passed the door of darkness through, not one, returns to\\ntell us of the road, which, to discover, we must travel too.\\nThe Bible, however, happily, throws some light upon the Distant\\nCity. As the Astronomer with the telescope brings the far distant\\nArtie Planets Uranus and Neptune within the vision of mortal eye,\\nso the telescope of the Word of God, brings Heaven within the vision\\nof man for in turning on the Light of Divine Revelation, we\\ncatch bright rays of the Heavenly City of God. As such, it tells us\\nthat Heaven is a Place. Heaven, is a term used to express the\\npositive issue or consummation of the dispensation of redemption,\\nor the end of such as will be saved. As regards the location of\\nHeaven we are largely left to conjecture, and yet, our general im-\\npressions lead us to believe it is somewhere above us. Christ in\\n91", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0093.jp2"}, "94": {"fulltext": "His ascension rose up from Mount Oliver.\\nElijah went up by a whirlwind into\\nheaven.\\nThis earth of ours does not afford verj\\nmany places suitable for Heaven. No\\nsuch place as yet has ever been discovered\\non earth. There is too much suffering\\nand sickness and sin on earth for it to\\never be a suitable place. It is true that\\nthis earth could by the power of God be\\nchanged into a new heaven and earth,\\nbut meantime where is heaven Surely,\\nthe dead are not all sleeping in the grave awaiting the general resur-\\nrection, for to be absent from the body is to be present with the\\nLord, and Paul once wrote saying to depart and be with Christ is\\nfar better, and surely he would never have so written, if he had\\nthought death meant lying in the grave until the last trumpet call.\\nThis day Shalt thou be with me in paradise, said Christ to the\\nrepenting thief upon the cross.\\nEarth is nothing more than the footstool of God, while\\nheaven is His throne. When Christ was about to leave the\\napostles, He said to them, I go to prepare a place for you, and\\nthat place is not on earth, but in Heaven as it now is, heaven was\\nthen already existing, but Christ meant to say that He would go and\\nthere prepare for them a place in that heaven. He also speaks of\\ncoming again to receive them unto himself, that where he is\\nthere they may be also. And the apostle reminds us of the fact,\\nthat if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have\\nan house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. As the re-\\ndeemed are limited, finite beings, with glorified bodies, they must\\nexist somewhere they must have a definite location that some-\\nwhere for the redeemed, is called heaven.\\nThere are also conditions of the redeemed. Not a general med-\\nley of persons gathered together without order, for one of the first\\nlaws of heaven is order. When Christ fed the five thousand, there\\nwas order. He had them seated in companies of fifties and hun-", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0094.jp2"}, "95": {"fulltext": "dreds, otherwise there would have been utter confusion. So in\\nheaven, there will be order and no confusion. As to who is to\\nhave the first seat in glory, that kind of selfishness and jealousy,\\nis confined wholly to this present life. The present life, however,\\nwill largely determine the condition of the future in heaven. Each\\none on earth is fashioned for a heavenly place. Every christian is\\ndesigned for a special place in glory. In the building of the first\\nand most beautiful of all Temples for worship, the stones were all\\ncarefully prepared in the quarry, so that when the temple was\\nerected, they all fit togetlier so perfectly, that there was neither ax\\nnor hammer, nor any tool of iron heard in the temple while it was\\nbeing erected. So, God would have it in heaven.\\nThis Divine Order naturally involves variety among the re-\\ndeemed. It is very true that all in heaven will be satisfied, and per-\\nfectly happy, so much so that each will say my cup runneth over,\\nbut some cups will be larger than others, and the capacities will dif-\\nfer somewhat along the lines as they exist among christians in this\\nlife, for one star differeth from another star in glory.\\nAccordingly, is not this only natural and as it should be It\\nwould appear but just that the men and women who, other things be-\\ning equal, having given their consecration to God and the church,\\nshould have larger capacities for the glories of heaven than those\\nwho having had the same opportunities, failed to redeem the time,\\nbut waited until death frightened them, and then surrendered them-\\nselves to do the will of the Father.\\nAmong heaven s most illustrous, therefore, will be those whose\\nhearts are fixed upon holy things. It will not be a matter of Creeds\\nor particular church, but the pure in heart shall see God, where\\nthere shall be one Lord, one faith, one Baptism, one God and\\nFather of us all. Paul with his life of consecration to God, will\\nsurely have larger capacities for the riches of heaven, than the thief\\nwho on the cross, confessed Christ. The are pillars in the temple\\nof God, and they are those who were the pillars here on earth\\nthe St. Catherines, the Dorcasses, the .Johns, the consecrated men\\nand women in the church of God. These, will be among the illustri-\\nous in heaven. Many who are now little noticed will be among the\\n93", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0095.jp2"}, "96": {"fulltext": "bright stars, for they are meekly but devoutly doing God s will here\\non earth, in going about doing good.\\nUnhappily, there are many professed christians who are living a\\nzig-zag life. Atone time near Christ, then following afar off.\\nSuch persons cannot reasonably expect to be among the brighter\\nstars in glory.\\nAnother class of persons that will appear among the brighter\\nstars in glory, will be, the sore afflicted in Christ.\\nIf during tha process of building, the corner stones could speak,\\nthey would doubtless do considerable murmuring, and [would ask,\\nWhy are we so hammered But when the building is completed,\\nthen there is visible evidence for the hammering and carving. It\\nwas to make more useful and beautiful the stones and so we are to\\nbe the spiritual stones for the temple of God in glory, and there is\\nneed of removing some cf the rough corners, the superfluities of life,\\nin order that we may be all the more beautiful for that house not\\nmade with hands, eternal in the heavens.\\nThe Apostle once caught a glimpse of some who were nearest the\\nthrone in heaven, and in his ecstasy, he asked, Who are these in\\nwhite array before the throne? And the Angel answered, These\\nare they which came up out of great tribulation, therefore, are they\\nbefore the throne. Such, are among the pillars in heaven, for\\nit takes the soil of [affliction to grow the tall cedars of Lebanon for\\nthe temple of God. If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with\\nhim.\\nAre [any in distress The apostle encourages such by saying,\\nBe not weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we\\nfaint not. And Paul adds at another time, I reckon, that the suf-\\nferings of the present are not worthy to be compared to the glories\\nthat shall be revealed in us, for, our light afflictions work for us a\\nfar more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. In sickness, sor-\\nrow, afflictions and adversity, God is preparing material for the\\npillars and corner stones, for his temple in glory.\\nWill we know each other in heaven Natural reasoning would\\nsurely teach us to say, Yes, and inspiration teaches the same.\\nOtherwise, there could not well be that large degree of happiness.\\n94", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0096.jp2"}, "97": {"fulltext": "The power of friendship is universally known hereon earth. One\\nis not apt to be so happy aniong strangers as among acquaintances\\nand friends, and if in heaven there were no recognition, then there\\nwould be wanting one of the chief requisites for happiness. Recog-\\nnition begets joy. Let old acquaintances, who may have been sepa-\\nrated for a long time, meet, and how jojful the greetings. They may\\nnot at first recognize each other, but in the course of conversation, or\\nin the singing of a song, the chamber of memory is unlocked, and old\\nfriends once more are in each others fond embrace. This will be one\\nof the great joys of heaven the meeting of friends, the recalling of\\nfond memories, and the reuniting of friendships, which had been\\npartly broken by death.\\nBut, some one may ask, Will not recognition mar happiness,\\nin that some dear friend may be absent We answer, No, for\\nconditions will be changed, and there will be realized fully the justice\\nof God, and all will be willing to conform to God s judgments and\\nworks. Heavenly recognition, is also reasonable, because memory\\nwill continue, and the social nature will remain. Destroy memory\\nand you destroy individuality, and heaven would not be heaven.\\nMemory will ever enrich the treasures of joy of the redeemed soul.\\nBut again, some one may ask, Will not memory mar happiness\\nin the recalling of early sins. In answer to this question, we again\\nanswer, No, for Christ has very clearly and definitely declared\\nthat He will blot out all sin, so that there shall be no more re-\\nmembrance forever of the pardoned sin. When Christ forgives\\nsins, He blots it out of his memory and never more refers to it.\\nNor will the existence of the social nature in heaven mar the\\nhappiness. It is frequently asked, What of those who have been\\nmarried two or three times Suppose in heaven the different hus-\\nbands or different wives meet, will not there be some jealousy, and\\nthe pleasures of heaven affected because of the existence of the social\\nnature in the recognition This question has also been very forci-\\nbly answered in God s holy word, that in heaven they neither marry\\nnor are given in marriage. So enlarged will be our views, that\\nthere will be no evil eye, for nothing entereth heaven that de-\\nfileth. On the other hand, the social nature will greatly add to the\\n95", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0097.jp2"}, "98": {"fulltext": "joys of the heavenly state and life. There will be such reunions as\\nCaleb and Joshua, David and Jonathan, the members of the Bethany\\nhome, the reunion of families and congregations, all of which will\\nmake heaven the ideal place.\\nRecognition is further evident from the numerous Scriptural\\nreferences. When David lost his little boy in death, he had no ques-\\ntion as to his future meeting with and recognition of his child. He\\nshall not return to me, but I shall go to him, was the conscious\\nknowledge that gave to a bereaved father comfort and consolation in\\nthe hour of sorrow. That same consciousness and hope, has com-\\nforted many parents since.\\nJMotwithstanding the fact that Moses had died fifteen hundred\\nyears before, and Elias nearly one thousand years, yet they were\\nrecognized on the Mount of Transfiguration.\\nPaul also believed in heavenly recognition, for he speaks of the\\nspecial love for his own converts, and his hope of their heavenly re-\\nunion. It was doubtless in view of this that Paul wrote saying,\\nThen shall I know as I also am known. Although faith may be\\nlost in sight and hope in fruition, yet love never faileth, nor will\\nit fail in heaven.\\nChrist gave back to the widow of Nain, not son, but her\\nson. He promised to the bereaved sisters, not Lazarus, but your\\nbrother \\\\\\\\2X\\\\ rise. And there is a promise left to the righteous\\nthat they shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the\\nkingdom of heaven, implying most clearly that these men shall be\\nrecognized in heaven, and if they, then others, for we shall know\\nas we are known.\\nThe fact of heavenly recognition will afl ord an opportunity of\\nexpressing unexpressed gratitude. Here on earth the opportunity\\nis often not afforded. At the time results are not seen, while fre-\\nquently death cuts down its victim before an opportunity is given\\nfor expressions of love and gratitude. Accordingly, many pass from\\nearth to glory in clouds of disappointments. Parents thus often\\npass away with disappointments as regards their children, while\\nchristian men and women often see so few visible fruits of their\\nlabors that they are inclined to think their lives have been a failure.\\n96", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0098.jp2"}, "99": {"fulltext": "heaven, however, will unfold some of the sweet memories of the\\npast. In heaven there will be many happy surprises. The results\\nof g-ood works will there be revealed, when souls will rise up and\\ncall blessed such as led thera to church and to Christ. I was in\\nyour Sunday school class, or I was saved by you as a brand\\nplucked from the fire, or, You gave me a word of encouragement\\nwhen all others forsook me, such will be the expressions of heavenly\\ngratitude the bread cast upon the waters.\\nBut what does all this teach us It should teach us the better\\nhow to live. It should forcibly teach us that we must begin heaven\\nhere on earth if we would enjoy heaven above. Christ like earthly\\nrecognition means heavenly recognition, and the wise christian care-\\nfully practices this noble trait.\\nThe more friends we have on earth in Christ, the more we are\\nlikely to have in heaven. Some need to learn earthly recognition.\\nThere are needy people who are in want of a helping hand, a kind\\nword, a smile of encouragement, who are yet being passed by daily\\nwithout any recognition on the part of many christians. There are\\ntoo many, who, like the Priest and Levite of old, pass heedlessly by\\nsuch as need their tender sympathy and help.\\nWe need more like the good old Samaritan who will get down\\nfrom their high places into the dust and sand, and help the wounded\\nat heart and soul. Many sad and cheerless hearts and homes might\\nthus be transformed into Edens on earth. Seeing, therefore, just\\nwhat God hath in store for those who love and faithfully serve Him,\\nlet us bring down a little more of heaven into daily life, beginning it\\nthus while here on earth, for such will be surer of the same above,\\nand will enjoy all the more the blessedness of heavenly recognition\\nbecause they recognized people when on earth.\\nDorcas has many to recognize in heaven, because she kindly\\nrecognized the poor and discouraged here in life. Josephine s body\\nwas followed by the ten thousand of France to its final resting place\\nbecause she had been a friend to the ten thousand of France. And\\nso heaven will be what we make it. Our present life will largely de-\\ntermine our future happiness in glory some will enter heaven as\\n97", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0099.jp2"}, "100": {"fulltext": "brands plucked from the fire, while others will gain an abund-\\nant entrance.\\nWhen Mozart had written his last requiem, he turned to his\\ndaughter, and handing her the music said, Daughter, play and sing\\nthis for me.\\nHis daughter kindly took the music, and sitting down beside the\\npiano, played and sang to the great satisfaction of him who requested\\nthe favor. After she had completed the song, she turned to see what\\neffect it had upon her father. She saw a smile upon his face, but it\\nwas the fixed smile of death. Whijy^ she played and sang, his soul\\ntook its winged flight to realms above.\\nReader, be a friend to your fellowmen, be honest with yourself,\\nand let your life be one so true to God, that when at last you fall\\nasleep, it may be\\nAsleep in Jesus blessed sleep,\\nFrom which none ever wakes to weep\\nA calm and undisturbed repose,\\nUnbroken by the last of foes.\\nAsleep in Jesus I peaceful rest,\\nWhose waking is supremely blest\\nNo fear, no woe, shall dim that hour\\nThat manifests the Saviour s power.\\nThus, awaking from that last sleep, may your eyes behold the\\nshining angels awaiting you, and may you hear your Blessed Master\\nsay unto you Well done, thou good and faithful servant; enter\\nthou into the joys of thy Lord.\\n98", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0100.jp2"}, "101": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3482", "width": "2349", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0101.jp2"}, "102": {"fulltext": "LIBRARY OF CONGRESS\\n014 158 800 n", "height": "3470", "width": "2321", "jp2-path": "expositorythough00zimm_0102.jp2"}}