In 1871 I preached a series of sermons on the life of Christ in old
Farwell hall, Chicago, for five nights. I took Him from the cradle and
followed Him up to the judgment hall, and on that occasion I consider
I made as great a blunder as ever I made in my life. It was upon that
memorable night in October, and the court-house bell was sounding an
alarm of fire, but I paid no attention to it. You know we were
accustomed to hear the fire-bell often, and it didn't disturb us much
when it sounded. I finished the sermon upon "What Shall I Do with
Jesus?" and said to the audience:
"Now, I want you to take the question with you and think it over, and
next Sunday I want you to come back and tell me what you are going to
do with Him."
What a mistake! It seems now as if Satan was in my mind when I said
this. Since then I never have dared give an audience a week to think
of their salvation. If they were lost, they might rise up in judgment
against me. "Now is the accepted time."
I remember Mr. Sankey singing, and how his voice rang when he came to
that pleading verse:
"To-day the Savior calls,
For refuge fly!
The storm of Justice falls,
And death is nigh!"
After the meeting we went home. I remember going down La Salle street
with a young man, and saw the glare of flames. I said to the young
man:
"This means ruin to Chicago."
About one o'clock Farwell hall was burned; soon the church in which I
had preached went down, and everything was scattered. I never saw that
audience again.
My friends, we don't know what may happen to-morrow, but there is one
thing I do know, and that is, if you take the gift of God you are
saved. If you have eternal life you need not fear fire, death, or
sickness. Let disease or death come, you can shout triumphantly over
the grave if you have Christ. My friends, what are you going to do
with Him? Will you not decide now?