Looking down from heaven He is saying to us, no matter how much we may be doing for Him, He is saying this to us:
"Love me more."
And until there is this flaming, burning, out-flowing enthusiasm for and devotion to a personal Lord, to Him for what He is as well as for what He has done for us, there can be no sweeping, wide, resultant revival and ingathering of the elect of G.o.d. You may plan and organize and get together, you will have only a flame that will flare for a time and then go out.
Nay! only when we are on fire for Him can we make the hearts of men to burn with the faith that shall turn them to Him and make them hate and forsake whatever does not honour and glorify Him.
Over all the noise and rush of things, and all the machinery well motived men sometimes set going in His name He is saying:
"Love me more! love me more!"
When some one you love with this intense personal love is absent you are not satisfied till that absent one returns, fills your vision and responds to the touch of your greeting and your love.
If you love the very person of the Son of G.o.d; if you have a quivering, all-pervading enthusiasm for Him so that He is, indeed, above all personalities in the universe to you, you will want Him to return where you may look upon Him--not as Thomas did for doubt"s sake and stumbling hope"s sake--but for the very joy of it until the print of the nails in His hand and the print of the nails in His feet shall be to you as the apocalypse of His glory and the illumination of your soul.
Do you really want Him to come--this long absent Redeemer and Lord?
He is listening to hear whether you want Him to come; whether above every plan and scheme you may have been building in His name; above any religious, even spiritual ambition you may have, you want Him to come for--Himself.
He is very still. He is listening to hear whether you will say that one little word that has in it such vibrant meaning, that one word:
"Come."
The Church as a Church has long ago ceased to say--"Come."
But the old prayer is still written here in the closing page of Holy Scripture:
"Amen. Even so, Come, Lord Jesus."
Are you willing to-night to put your faith and your heart into that old prayer and bid Him come?
Have you the faith and sincerity to do it?
You say, "Yes."
Then rise to your feet as one person and say that prayer as I line it out to you until it shall roll upward like a wave on the infinite sh.o.r.e and break on our Lord"s listening ears with the music of love"s unfailing appeal:
"AMEN. EVEN SO, COME, LORD JESUS."
In response to Dr. Haldeman the great audience filling the building from pit to dome rose to its feet as in a flash and repeated the prayer as he gave it out. It was a moving sight and full of impression as the mighty volume of united voices rose and swelled upward to that throne where our Lord sits as Bridegroom as well as King and yearns in these days to hear His true Bride in all the wonder of her spiritual beauty and the strength of her essential unity say--"Come."