God has created man with credulity, or the ability to believe; he has
graciously given us the truth, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the
Living God, to belief; with the divine testimony that incontestably
proves the truth. But he does not compel any man to read the testimony,
to hear it read, to examine it, try to understand and appreciate it.
He lays it before the world, and demands of the nations to hear it.
It is like all the other blessings God has afforded man; it must be
sought, inquired after and received, or do men no good. Men may be none
the better of its ever entering into the world. It may be that God has
created a rich mine of gold in some part of the earth. One man seeks
all the information he can obtain, in reference to it, becomes
satisfied of its richness and accessibility; he makes a proper effort
and obtains a fortune. Another man, with equally as good endowments,
treats the whole question with indifference to it. Without examining
the testimony, he pronounces all delusion, humbuggery, a chimera, and
ridicules it, and the man that seeks information, or inquires into it.
What good will the gold mine do him? None whatever. So far as he is
concerned, it might as well never have been created.
But, it fares infinitely worse than this with him who treats with
indifference the pearls of Jesus Christ. He who prefers the darkness
of this world to the light of the Son of God, turns away his ears from
the holy and lovely lessons of the benevolent Redeemer, refuses to
inform himself in reference to Him, to whom God requires all nations
to be attentive, incurs a responsibility for which he will certainly
answer at the most solemn tribunal. He who turns his back upon the Lord
of heaven and earth, when we would call attention to him, not only
loses or forfeits the benefits proposed through him, but incurs censure
for indifference, ingratitude and disrespect, if not contempt of his
Creator and merciful Benefactor. God has created him with a heart to
believe, given the truth, and furnished the testimony to convey it to
the understanding, and holds him responsible for the exercise of his
abilities. Come, then, dear reader, and let us fix our minds upon Jesus
of Nazareth, and carefully consider his claims upon our attention. The
whole question is about him. What do you think of him whom we claim as
the Savior of the world? Do you love him and those like him? Or, are
you opposed to him?