v. 3, and show him that a Christian life is not hard but exceedingly

pleasant. Then turn him to Prov. xiii. 15, and show him that it is the sinner’s life that is hard.

9. “_I am afraid of my ungodly companions_;” or “_I will lose my friends if I take Christ_.” Prov. xxix. 25 will show them the consequence of yielding to the fear of man and the security of the one who trusts in the Lord. Prov. xiii. 20 will show them the result of holding on to their companions, and Ps. i. 1 will show the blessedness of giving up evil companions. 1 John i. 3 shows how much better companionship one gets than he loses by coming to Christ.

10. “_My heart is too hard._” Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27, will show them that though their hearts are hard as stone, that will make no difference because God will give them a new heart.

11. “_I have no feeling._” Ask the inquirer what kind of feeling he thinks he must have before he comes to Christ. If it is the peace of which Christians speak, show him from Gal. v. 22; Eph. i. 13; Acts v. 32; 1 Peter i. 8; Matt. x. 32, that this feeling is the result of accepting Christ and confessing Him, and that he cannot expect it until he accepts and confesses Christ. If the feeling which he thinks he must have is the feeling that he is a sinner, then show him by Is. lv. 7 that it is _not the feeling_ that we are sinners that God demands, _but a turning away_ from sin. Or, from Acts xvi. 31; John i. 12; that God does not ask us to feel that we are sinners but to confess that we are sinners and trust in Christ as a Saviour. Is. lv. 1; Rev. xxii. 17, will show the inquirer that all the feeling he needs is a desire for salvation.

It is often times well, however, with this class of inquirers to show them the passages for “The Indifferent” until they do feel that they are sinners.

12. “_I am seeking Christ, but cannot find Him._”

Jer. xxix. 13, shows that when we seek him with the whole heart we shall find him. Speaking with a woman one evening in an after–meeting she said to me, “I have been seeking Christ two years and cannot find Him.” I replied, “I can tell you when you will find him.” She looked at me in surprise and I turned to Jer. xxix. 13, and read “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” “There,” I said, “that shows you when you will find Christ. You will find him when you search for him with all your heart. Have you done that?” After a little thought she answered “No.” “Well, then,” I said, “let us kneel right down here now.” She did this and in a few moments she was rejoicing in Christ. You can point one who has this difficulty to Luke xv. 1‒10; xix. 10. These passages show that Jesus is seeking the sinner and you can say, “if you are really seeking Christ it will not take a seeking Saviour and a seeking sinner very long to find each other.”

13. “_I cannot believe._”

In most cases where one says this the real difficulty which lies back of their inability to believe is unwillingness to forsake sin. John v. 44, is a good passage to use with such a one, or Is. lv. 7. In the use of the latter passage, hold the man’s attention to the fact that all God asks of him is that he turn away from sin and turn to Him.

14. “_God won’t receive me_,” or “_I have sinned away the day of grace_,” or “_I am afraid I have committed the unpardonable sin_.”

The people who honestly say this, are as a rule about the most difficult class to deal with of any that you will meet. John vi. 37, is the great text to use with them for it shows that Jesus will receive any one who will come to him. Hold him continually to that point, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” and if they keep saying “He won’t receive me” repeat the text, looking to the Spirit of God to carry the truth home. Many an utterly despondent soul has found light and peace through this verse in God’s word. Rev. xxii. 17, is also useful as it shows that any one who will can have the water of life freely. Is. lv. 1, shows that any one who desires salvation can have it. Is. i. 18, shows that no matter how great a man’s sins may be still here is pardon. Acts x. 43, and John iii. 16, that “_whosoever_” will believe upon Christ will find pardon and eternal life. Romans x. 13, shows that any one, no matter who or what he is, who will “call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” It is well sometimes to turn to Heb. vi. 4‒6, and Matt. xii. 31‒32, and show the inquirer just what the unpardonable sin is and what its results are. Matt. xii. 31, 32, shows that it is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost and put it squarely to him, “have you ever blasphemed against the Holy Ghost?” Heb. vi. 4‒6, shows that the difficulty is not in God’s unwillingness to forgive, but in the man’s unwillingness to repent and that any one who is concerned about his salvation evidently has not committed the unpardonable sin nor sinned away his day of grace. A little instruction along this line is often times all that is needed.

15. “_It is too late._”

When an inquirer says this, it is often times well to use 2 Cor. vi. 2, and tell him that God says, it is just the time. Luke xxiii. 39‒43, is useful as showing that even at the last hour Jesus will hearken to the sinner’s cry. 2 Peter iii. 9, will show that His will is that none should perish, but that He is delaying the judgment that He may save as many as will come. Deut. iv. 30, 31, is an especially helpful passage as it says “Even in the latter days” if thou turn to the Lord he will be merciful. Is. i. 18, and Rev. xxii. 17, can alone be used here.