Again, look at that bold blasphemer and persecutor who was going to
stamp out the early Church, and was breathing out threatenings and
slaughter, when Christ met him on his way to Damascus. It is the same
Jesus still. Listen, and hear what He says--"Saul, Saul, why
persecutest thou Me?" Why, He could have smitten him to the earth with
a look or a breath; but instead of that, the heart of the Son of God
was moved with compassion, and He cries out, "Saul, Saul, why
persecutest thou Me?" If there is a persecutor here to-night, I would
ask you, "Why persecute Jesus?" He loves you, sinner; He loves you,
persecutor. You never received anything but goodness and kindness and
love from Him. And Saul cried out, "Who art thou?" And He answered, "I
am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against
the pricks." It is hard to fight against such a loving friend, to
contend against one who loves you as I do; and down comes the proud,
persecuting Saul, down upon his face, and he cried out, "Lord, what
wouldst Thou have me to do?" And the Lord told him, and he went and
did it. May the Lord have compassion upon the infidel, and sceptic,
and persecutor. Let me ask you, my friend, Is there any reason why you
should hate Christ, or why your heart should be turned against Him?
I remember a story about a teacher telling the scholars all to follow
Jesus, and how they might all be missionaries, and go out to work for
others. And one day one of the smallest came to her and said, "I asked
such and such a one to come with me, and they said they would like to
come, but their father was an infidel."
"WHY DON'T YOU LOVE JESUS?"
And the young child wanted to know what an infidel was, and the
teacher went on to explain to her. And one day, when she was on her
way to school, this infidel was coming out of the post office with his
letters in his hand, when the child ran up to him, and said, "Why
don't you love Jesus?" He thought at first to push her aside, but the
child pressed it home again, "Why don't you love Jesus?" If it had
been a man, the infidel would have resented it; but he did not know
what to do with the child, and with tears in her eyes she asked him
again, "Oh! please, tell me, why don't you love Jesus?" He went on to
his office, but he felt as if every letter he opened read, "Why don't
you love Jesus?" He attempted to write, with the same result; every
letter seemed to ask him, "Why don't you love Jesus?" and he threw
down his pen in despair, and went out of his office, but he could not
get rid of the question; it was asked by a still small voice within,
and as he walked along it seemed as if the very ground and the very
heavens whispered to him, "Why don't you love Jesus?" At last he went
home, and there it seemed as if his own children asked him the
question, so he said to his wife, "I will go to bed early to-night,"
thinking to sleep it away; but when he laid his head on the pillow it
seemed as if the pillow whispered it to him. So he got up about
midnight, and said, "I can find out where Christ contradicts Himself,
and I'll search it out and prove Him a liar." Well, the man got up,
and turned to the Gospel of John, and read on from the beginning until
he came to the words, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but
have everlasting life." What love! he thought; and at last the old
infidel's heart was stirred. He could find no reason for not loving
Jesus, and down he went on his knees and prayed, and before the sun
rose the old infidel was in the kingdom of God.
I will challenge any one on the face of the earth to find any reason
for not loving Christ. It is only here on earth men think they have a
reason for not doing so. In heaven they know Him, and they shout,
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain." Oh, sinner, if you knew Him you
would have no wish to find a reason for not loving Him. He is "the
chiefest among ten thousand, and altogether lovely." I can imagine a
good many saying, "I should like very much to become a Christian, and
I should like to know how I can come to Him, and be saved."