TOPIC and SUBTOPIC: Acknowledgment Of The Son, Necessary For Salvation
TITLE: I Cannot Believe
During our meeting in San Jose, California, a gentleman in high standing in
the city, who had raised a college by his own merits, came to my room,
by the request of his wife, to converse with me on the subject of religion.
He said: I will state to you my sentiments, then you can give me such advice as
you think proper. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, but do not and
cannot believe in the Son, that is in Jesus. Now sir, what am I to do.
What are you to do? You are to be lost forever unless there can be a
change, I replied.
You make out that I am in a bad condition, he said.
You are in a bad condition, I replied. You say you believe in God the
Father, and he says, There is none other name under heaven given among
men whereby we must be saved. So that there can be no possible hope in
your case unless there can be a change in your views.
Well, sir, I can never believe in the Son of God, he replied again.
I said again to him, that must settle the question forever if it is so. For the
Father has no blood to shed for you and without the shedding of blood there can be no remission.
I asked him if he would kneel down and pray with me.
"Yes," he said, "I will pray to the Father, I know no Son."
But what a chilly prayer. After a little further conversation, I said: "Your case is not hopeless. Will you give me your hand and pledge of honor that you will not knowingly grieve the Holy Spirit?"
"I pledge you that I will not knowingly resist the Spirit."
I said, "My dear sir, I can pray for you now and believe the Spirit will show you Jesus."
In about three days he kneeled in a large assembly and offered this prayer: "O Lord, I promised that I would not resist the Holy Spirit, and he has melted me all down and I have a glimpse of Jesus."
I felt sure the full-orbed day would soon rise to his view. In a few days after this, he stood in the midst of a great crowd and made this statement:
"Ten days ago I stood upon a platform of infidelity, now I have sweetly embraced Jesus as my Saviour. While it is true that no man can find or come to Christ, except by the Holy Spirit, it is equally true that we can resist him, and be lost forever. -- A. B. Earle, From: Incidents Used In His Meetings, published in 1888 A.B. Earle, American evangelist - Copied biographical notes, author unknown. --- Absalom Backus Earle, 1812-1895, American evangelist. A.B. Earle was born in Charlton, New York. He was converted at the age of 16 and began to preach two years later. The next three years were spent in study and preaching, until, at the age of 21, he was ordained at Amsterdam, New York. After pastoring there for five years, Earle felt led of the Lord to enter the evangelistic ministry. Fifty-eight years of his life were spent in holding meetings in the United States, every state, and Canada.
He compiled the following statistics: Number of series of meetings: 960. Number of services: 39,330. Miles traveled: 370,000. Total amount received for 64 years of ministry: $65,520.00. Conversions to Christ: 160,000. Men entering the ministry: 400. Earle authored the following books: Bringing in the Sheaves, Abiding Peace, Rest of Faith, The Human Will, The Work of An Evangelist, Evidences of Conversion, and Winning Souls. He died at his home in Newton, Massachusetts, on March 30, 1895, at the age of 83. |
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