Category: Quote of the Day

Some have dramatic conversion experiences. Others cannot name the day and hour, but they came to Christ in early years without great excitement. These people sometimes are upset when in later life they hear some ex-convict relate a vivid conversion. Some, like Mr. Fearing in Pilgrim’s Progress, are all their lives afraid that they will not get to heaven. Says Alexander MacLaren: “There are none so far away from false confidence as those who tremble lest they be cherishing it.” And dear Alexander Whyte wrote to a troubles soul “Act faith if you do not feel it…..Throw yourself in His direction, even though you cannot reach Him….He does not say ‘See’…He only says ‘Look’….that is all you have to do with, He will take care of the rest….It is very simple-keep looking; He will take care of the seeing.” Christians of robust and rugged constitution have little patience with Mr. Fearing, and indeed he should not be afraid. But many dear souls are and they do not need a harsh “Snap out of It!” so much as the gentle counsel of that Scottish giant with the tender soul.

My father was converted by the preaching of a hair-raising sermon on the text, “He that being often reproved hardenth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Proverbs 29:1). It scared him into the Kingdom of God. Such preaching is discouraged these days but it is better to scare men into heaven than to lull them into hell. Better shocked than stupefied!