“SEEK THE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND; CALL YE UPON HIM WHILE HE IS NEAR.” — ISAIAH 55:6.

I HAVE been speaking about the Son of Man seeking the lost; but now I want to take up the other side of the case — man’s side. I have learned this, that when anyone becomes in earnest about his soul’s salvation he begins to seek God, and it does not take a great while for them to meet; it does not take long for an anxious sinner to meet an anxious Savior. What do we read in the 29th chapter of Jeremiah, < 242913 > 13th verse? “Ye shall seek Me and find Me when ye shall search for Me with all your heart. ” These are the men who find Christ — those who seek for Him with all their heart. I am tired and sick of half-heartedness. You don’t like a half-hearted man; you don’t care for anyone to love you with a half heart, and the Lord won’t have it. If we are going to seek for Him and find Him, we must do it with all our heart. I believe the reason why so few people find Christ is because they do not search for Him with all their heart; they are not terribly in earnest about their soul’s salvation. God is in earnest; everything God has done proves that He is in earnest about the salvation of men’s souls. He has proved it by giving his only Son to die for us. The Son of God was in earnest when He died. What is Calvary but a proof of that? And the Lord wants us to be in earnest when it comes to this great question of the soul’s salvation. I never saw men seeking Him with all their hearts but they soon found Him.

It was quite refreshing, one night, to find in the inquiry-room a young man who thought he was not worth saving, he was so vile and wicked. There was hope for him because he was so desperately in earnest about his soul.

He thought he was worthless. He had got a sight of himself in God’s looking glass, and when a man does that he has a very poor opinion of himself. You can always tell when a man is a great way from God — he is always talking about himself, and how good he is. But the moment he sees God by the eye of faith he is down on his knees, and, like Job, he cries, “Behold, I am vile.” All his goodness flees away. What men want is to be in earnest about their salvation, and they will soon find Christ. You do not need to go up to the heights to bring Him down, or down to the depths to bring Him up, or to go off to some distant city to find Him. This day He is near to everyone of us. I heard someone in the inquiry-room telling a young person to go home and seek Christ in his closet. I would not dare to tell anyone to do that. You might be dead before you got home. If I read my Bible correctly, the man who preaches the gospel is not the man who tells me to seek Christ tomorrow or an hour hence, but now . He is near to everyone of us this minute to save. If the world would just come to God for salvation, and be in earnest about it, they would find the Son of God right at the door of their heart.

Suppose I should say I lost a very valuable diamond here last night — I have not, but suppose it — worth $100,000. I had it in my pocket when I came into the hall, and when I had done preaching I found it was not in my pocket, but was in the hall somewhere. And suppose I was to say that anyone who found it could have it. How earnest you would all become!

You would not get very much of my sermon; you would all be thinking of the diamond. I do not believe the police could get you out of this hall The idea of finding a diamond worth $100,000! If you could only find it, it would lift you out of poverty at once, and you would be independent for the rest of your days. Oh, how soon everybody would become terribly in earnest then! I would to God I could get men to seek for Christ in the same way. I have got something worth more than a diamond to offer you. Is not salvation — eternal life — worth more than all the diamonds in the world?

Suppose Gabriel should wing his way from the throne of God and come down here, and say he had been commissioned by Jehovah to come and offer to this assembly any one gift you might choose. You could have just what you chose, but only one thing. What would it be? The wealth of this city, or of the world? Would that be your choice? Ten thousand times, no!

Your one cry would be, “Life! Eternal life!”

There is nothing that men value as they do life. Let a man be out on a wreck that is fast going down. He is worth a million dollars and his only chance is to give up that million dollars just to save the life of the body.

He would give it up in a moment. “Skin for skin; all that a man hath will he give for his life.” I understand some people have been afraid to come to this hall because there might be a cry of “Fire! fire!” and a panic, and they might lose their life. Yet there are twenty doors to the building; I do not know that I ever saw a building that you could get out of easier. Yet people seem to sleep, and to forget that there is no door out of hell. If they enter they must remain, age after age. Millions on millions of years will roll on, but there will be no door, no escape out of hell. May God wake up this slumbering congregation and make you anxious about your souls.

People talk about our being earnest and fanatical — about our being on fire. Would to God the Church was on fire; this world would soon shake to its foundation. May God wake up a slumbering Church! What we want men to do is not to shout “Amen,” and clasp their hands. The deepest and quietest waters very often run swiftest. We want men to go right to work; there will be a chance for you to shout by-and-by. Go and speak to your neighbor and tell him of Christ and heaven. You need not go a few yards down these streets before you find someone who is passing down to the darkness of eternal death. Let us haste to the rescue!

What we want to see is men really wishing to become Christians, men who are in dead earnest about it. The idea of hearing a man say in answer to the question. “Do you want to become a Christian?” “Well, I would not mind. ” My friend, I do not think you will ever get into the kingdom of God until you change your language. We want men crying from the depths of their heart, “I want to be saved.” On the day of Pentecost the cry was, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” These men were in earnest, and they found Christ right there; three thousand found Him, when they sought with all their hearts. When men seek Christ as they do wealth, they will soon find Him. To be sure, the world will raise a cry that they are excited. Let cotton go up ten or fifteen per cent before tomorrow morning, and you will see how quickly the merchants will get excited! And the papers don’t cry it down either. They say it is healthy excitement; commerce is getting on. But when you begin to get excited about your soul’s salvation, and are in earnest, then they raise the cry, “Oh, they are getting excited; most unhealthy state of things.” Yet they don’t talk about men hastening down to death by thousands. There is the poor drunkard, look at him! Hear the piercing cry going up to heaven! Yet the Church of God slumbers and sleeps. Here and there is an inquirer, and yet they go into the inquiry-room as if they were half asleep. When will men seek for Christ as they seek for wealth, or as they seek for honor?

I am told that when the war broke out on the Gold Coast, though it was known that the climate was a very unhealthy one, and a great many who went there would never return, yet hundreds and thousands of men wanted to go. Why? They wanted to get wealth, and from wealth, honor.

And if there is a chance of going to India, no end of men are willing to go.

To get a little honor they will sacrifice comfort, pleasure, health, and everything. What we want, is to have men seeking the kingdom of God, as they seek for honor and wealth.

As I said, if life is in danger, how terribly in earnest men become. That is right; there is no doubt about that. But why should not men be as much in earnest about their soul’s salvation? Why should not every man and woman here wake up and seek the Lord with all their heart? Then, the Lord says, you shall find Him.

There is a story told of a vessel that was wrecked, and was going down at sea. There were not enough lifeboats to take all on board. When the vessel went down, some of the lifeboats were near the vessel. A man swam from the wreck just as it was going down, to one of the boats; but they had no room to take him, and they refused. When they refused, he seized hold of the boat with his right hand, but they took a sword and cut off his fingers.

When he had lost the fingers of his right hand, the man was so earnest to save his life that he seized the boat with his left hand; they cut off the fingers of that hand too. Then the man swam up and seized the boat with his teeth, and they had compassion on him and relented. They could not cut off his head, so they took him in, and the man saved his life. Why? Because he was in earnest. Why not seek your soul’s salvation as that man sought to save his life?

Will there ever be a better time? Will there ever be a better time for that old man whose locks are growing gray, whose eyes are growing dim, and who is hastening to the grave? Is not this the very best time for him? “Seek the Lord while He may be found. ” There is a man in the middle of life. Is this not the best time for him to seek the kingdom of God! Will he ever have a better opportunity? Will Christ ever be more willing to save than now? He says, “Come, for all things are now ready.” Not going to be, but are now ready. There is a young man. My friend, is it not the best time for you to seek the kingdom of God? Seek the Lord, you can find him here tonight.

Can you say that you will find Him here tomorrow? Will anyone rise up in this hall and say that? Young man, you know not what tomorrow may bring forth. Do you know that since we met here last night 43,000 souls have passed from time to eternity? Do you know that every time the clock ticks a soul passes away? Is not this the best time for you to seek the kingdom of God?

My boy, the Lord wants you. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and seek Him while He may be found. Over twenty years ago, a great revival swept over this land. A great many men stood and shook their heads; they could not believe it was a healthy state of things. The Church was not in its normal state! The Church from Maine to Minnesota, and on to California, was astir. And as you passed over this great republic, over its western prairies and mountains, and through its valleys, as you went on by train, and as you passed through its cities and villages, you could see the churches lit up; and men were flocking into the kingdom of God by hundreds. And in a year and a half or two years there were more than half a million souls brought in. Men said it was false excitement, wildfire, and it would pass away. But, my friends, it was grace preceding judgment. Little did we know that our nation was soon to be baptized in blood, and that we would soon hear the tramp of a million men, that hundreds and thousands of our young men, the flower of our nation, would soon be lying in a soldier’s grave. But, oh, my friends, it was God calling his people in. He was preparing our nation for a terrible struggle.

And now, it seems to me that there is another wave of blessing passing over this earth. Tidings are coming from all parts of the world, telling us of the great work God is doing. The last tidings from India, told us of a blessed work going on there. The last tidings from Japan and from other places — we have the same good news of God pouring out his Spirit. It was only the other day that two men came up here from a town of 50,000 inhabitants, and wanted us to go there; but we could not, and we told them to go home and get to work themselves. Today one of them told us that they had sixteen last night in the inquiry-room. God is pouring out his Spirit everywhere. Everywhere men are putting in the sickle and bringing their sheaves and laying them at the feet of the Master. I believe we are living in the days that our fathers prayed for. The heavens are open, and the Spirit of God is descending upon the sons of men.

Now, this time of revival is a good time to seek the Lord. Will you ever have a better time? The tidings from every city is this — the people are praying. It is a question in my mind if there was ever so much prayer going up to God as at the present. Not only here, but all around the world, we have God’s people making their hearts burdened for the salvation of souls. And is it not God working? Will there ever be a better time for you to seek the kingdom of God than the present, when there is such a great awakening, when there is such a spirit of expectation; when the Church of God is coming up as one man, and the spirit of unity prevails? Think of the praying ones here. Do you believe there were ever so many men and women praying for your soul as there are here tonight? Look over this audience — what are these Christians doing now! They are silently praying to God. I can see they are praying. There is a young man with his mother sitting by his side. That mother is pleading, “God save my boy tonight!” May it go down deep into his soul! “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found.”

Now, let me ask you a question. Do you believe that the Lord can be found here tonight? I appeal to these ministers present at my side; do you believe He can? They answer “YES.” My friends do you believe it?

Another YES comes from the audience. Well, if He can, is it not the height of madness for any man or woman to go out of this hall without seeking Him? If He can be found, why not seek Him? Young lady, why not seek Him with all your heart? Young man, why not seek Christ tonight with all your heart? Why not say, “I must be saved?” There is nothing so important as this great question of salvation.

Supposing you could win the world, what would you do with it? Would it be worth as much as Christ? Let everything else be laid aside, and make up your minds that you will not rest until you have sought and found the Lord Jesus. I never knew anyone make up his mind to seek Him but he soon found Him. At Dublin a young man found Christ. He went home and lived so godly and so Christ-like, that two of his brothers could not understand what had wrought the change in him. They left Dublin and followed us to Sheffield, and found Christ there. They were in earnest.

But, thanks be to God, you have not got to go out of this hall. Christ can be found here tonight. I firmly believe everyone here can find Christ tonight if you will seek for Him with all your heart. He says, “Call upon Me.” Did you ever hear of anyone calling on Christ with the whole heart, that Christ didn’t answer? Look at that thief on the cross! It may have been that he had a praying mother, and that his mother taught him the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah. He had heard Christ pray that wonderful prayer, “Father, forgive them.” And as he was hanging on the cross that text of Scripture came to his mind, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call ye upon Him while He is near.” The truth came flashing into his soul, and he says, “He is near me now; I will call on Him. Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.” No sooner had he called than the Lord said, “This day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.” That was his seeking opportunity, his day. My friends, this is your day now. I believe that every man has his day. You have it just now; why not call upon Him just now? Say, as the poor thief did, “Lord remember me.” That was his golden opportunity, and the Lord heard and answered and saved him. Did not Bartimeus call on Him while He was near? Christ was passing by Jericho for the last time, and he cried out, “Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.” And did not the Lord hear his prayer, and give him his sight? It was a good thing Zaccheus called — or rather the Lord called him, but when the Lord called he came. May the Lord call many here, and may you respond, “Lord, here am I; You have called and I come.” Do you believe the Lord will call a poor sinner, and then cast him out? No! His word stands forever, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.”

I was glad when that man I told you of, said he felt as if he was too bad.

Men are pretty near the kingdom of God when they do not see anything good in themselves. At the Fulton Street prayer-meeting a man came in, and this was his story. He said he had a mother who prayed for him; he was a wild, reckless prodigal. Some time after his mother’s death he began to be troubled. He thought he ought to get into new company, and leave his old companions. So he said he would go and join a secret society; he thought he would join the Odd Fellows. They went and made inquiry about him, and they found he was a drunken sailor, so they blackballed him. They would not have him. He went to the Freemasons; he had nobody to recommend him, so they inquired and found there was no good in his character, and they, too, blackballed him. They didn’t want him.

One day, someone handed him a little notice in the street about the prayer-meeting, and he went in. He heard that Christ had come to save sinners. He believed Him; he took Him at his word; and, in reporting the matter, he said he “came to Christ without a character, and Christ hadn’t blackballed him .”

My friends, that is Christ’s way. Is there a man here without a character, with nobody to say a good word for him? I bring you good news. Call on the Son of God, and He will heal you. Call on Him tonight.

I was at a meeting for ministers the other day. Up in the gallery there was one solitary woman; she sat there alone. When the meeting was over and I was passing out, she came and said, “Mr. Moody, do you remember me?” “Oh, yes,” I said, “I remember you.” Where had I met her? Mr. Sankey and myself were leaving Dundee for the north of Scotland. There was a lady who had come from London and brought her two boys all the way to get blessed; they must have been about eighteen or nineteen — twins. That mother’s heart was burdened for their salvation. The last night we had a meeting there, one of the sons yielded himself up to Christ, and the mother went back next morning with her two boys, rejoicing that they had asked and found peace in believing. Some people may say that she was a great fanatic for going all the way from London to Dundee with her boys to get a blessing. But last Friday she says, “My boy who found the Lord in Dundee, died three weeks ago.” And as she pressed my hand as I left the meeting, I said to myself, “Was it not a good thing that mother took her boy to Dundee?” My friends, let us be in earnest about the salvation of our children and of our friends. Warn that young lady. Yes, mother, speak to that daughter of yours. Father, speak to that child of yours. Wife, speak to your unconverted husband; husband, speak to your unconverted wife.

Do not let a man go out of this house saying, “Nobody cared for my soul.”

I never saw a mother burdened for her children but they soon became anxious. Oh, may there be many a sinner seeking the kingdom of God with all their heart!

Before I close, I want to ask you once more, “What are you going to do? If the Lord is near, won’t you call upon Him?” Don’t let that scoffing man next to you keep you out of the kingdom of God. There is a scornful look upon that man’s face, perhaps he is making light of what I am saying.

Don’t mind him; don’t look to him; but just look right up to God, and ask Him to save you. Now, every true friend — and you all have friends — every true friend, if you could get his advice tonight, would tell you to be saved now. Ask that minister sitting next you, “Had I better seek the kingdom of God tonight?” What does he tell you? “By all means, don’t put it off another minute.” Ask that godly praying mother, by your side, “Is it best to seek the kingdom of God tonight?” Does she say, “Put it off one week,” or “put it off one month?” Do you think that mother would say that? There is not a Christian mother in this hall who would say it. I doubt if there is an unconverted mother even here whose advice would be to put off becoming a Christian. Ask that praying sister of yours, ask that praying brother, ask any friend you have here — if you are sitting near one — whether it is not the very best thing you can do. And then cry up to heaven and ask Him who is sitting at the right hand of God, and who loves you more than your father or your mother, or anyone on earth — who loves you so much that He gave Himself for you; ask Him what He will have you do, and hear his voice from the throne, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” And then shout down to the infernal regions, and ask those down there, and what will they say? “Send someone to my father’s house, for I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place.” Heaven, earth, and hell unite in this one thing, “Seek first the kingdom of God.” Don’t put it off. Call upon Him while He is near. And if you call upon Him in real earnest He will hear that call.

You may call too late. I have no doubt that those who would not pray when the ark was building prayed when the flood came, but their prayer was not answered. I have no doubt that when Lot went out of Sodom, Sodom cried to God, but it was too late, and God’s judgment swept them from the earth. My friends, it is not too late now, but it may be at twelve o’clock tonight. I cannot find any place in this Bible where I can say you may call tomorrow. I am not justified in saying that. “Behold, now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation.” Those men of Jerusalem, what a golden opportunity they had, with Christ in their midst. We see the Son of God weeping over Jerusalem, His heart bursting with grief for the city, as He cried, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! thou that stonest the prophets, how often would I have gathered thee as a hen gathereth her brood, but ye would not.” He could look down forty years, and see Titus coming with his army, and besieging that city. They called upon God then, but it was too late, and eleven hundred thousand people perished. Tonight is a time of mercy. It may be I am talking to someone tonight whose days of grace may be few, to someone who may be snatched away very soon. There may be someone here tonight who may never hear another gospel sermon; someone who may be hearing the last call. My friend, be wise tonight.

Make up your mind that you will seek the kingdom of God now. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Christ is inviting you to come — “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Oh, may we all find rest in Christ tonight!

Do not let anything divert your minds, but this night, this hour, make up your mind that you will not leave this hall until the great question of eternity has been settled.

WHAT THINK YE OF CHRIST? MATTHEW 22:42.

I SUPPOSE there is no one here who has not thought more or less, about Christ. You have heard about Him, and read about Him, and heard men preach about Him. For eighteen hundred years, men have been talking about Him, and thinking about Him; and some have their minds made up about who He is, and doubtless some have not. And although all these years have rolled away, this question comes up, addressed to each of us, today, “What think ye of Christ?”

I do not know why it should not be thought a proper question for one man to put to another. If I were to ask you what you think of any of your prominent men, you would already have your mind made up about him. If I were to ask you what you think of our President you would speak right out, and tell me your opinion in a minute. If I were to ask about your governor, you would tell me freely what you had for or against him. And why should not people make up their minds about the Lord Jesus Christ, and take their stand for or against Him? If you think well of Him, why not speak well of Him, and range yourselves on His side? And if you think ill of Him, and believe Him to be an impostor, and that He did not die to save the world, why not lift up your voice, and say you are against Him? It would be a happy day for Christianity if men would just take sides — if we could know positively who was really for Him, and who was against Him.

It is of very little importance what the world thinks of anyone else. All the great ones, all the noble people of this world must soon be gone. Yes; it matters little comparatively what we think of them. Their lives can only interest a few; but every living soul on the face of the earth is concerned with this Man. The question for the world is, “What think ye of Christ?” I do not ask you what you think of the Episcopal Church, or of the Presbyterians, or the Baptists, or the Roman Catholics; I do not ask you what you think of this minister or that, of this doctrine or that; but I want to ask you what you think of the living person of Christ?

I should like to ask, Was He really the Son of God — the great God-man?

Did He leave heaven and come down to this world for a purpose? Was it really to seek and to save? I should like to begin with the manger, and follow Him up through the thirty-three years He was here upon earth. I should ask you what you think of His coming into this world, and being born in a manger when it might have been a palace; why He left the grandeur and the glory of heaven, and the royal retinue of angels; why He passed by palaces and crowns and dominion, and came down here alone?

I should like to ask what you think of Him as a teacher? He spake as never man spake. I should like to take Him up as a preacher. I should like to bring you to that mountain side, that we might listen to the words as they fall from His gentle lips. Talk about the preachers of the present day!

I would rather a thousand times be five minutes at the feet of Christ, than listen a lifetime to all the wise men in the world. He used just to hang truth upon anything. Yonder is a sower, a fox, a bird, and He just gathers the truth round them, so that you cannot see a fox, a sower, or a bird, without thinking what Jesus said. Yonder is a lily of the valley, you cannot see it without thinking of His words, “They toil not, neither do they spin.” He makes the little sparrow chirping in the air preach to us. How fresh those wonderful sermons are, how they live today! How we love to tell them to our children, how the children love to hear! “Tell me a story about Jesus,” how often we hear it; how the little ones love His sermons! No storybook in the world will ever interest them like the stories that He told. And yet how profound He was; how He puzzled the wise men; how the scribes and the Pharisees could never fathom Him! Oh, do you not think He was a wonderful preacher?

I should like to ask you what you think of Him as a physician. A man would soon have a reputation as a doctor if he could cure as Christ did. No case was ever brought to Him but what He was a match for. He had but to speak the word, and disease fled before Him. Here comes a man covered with leprosy. “Lord, if Thou wilt Thou canst make me clean,” he cries. “I will,” says the Great Physician, and in an instant the leprosy is gone. The world has hospitals for incurable diseases; but there were no incurable diseases with Him.

Now see Him in the little home at Bethany, binding up the wounded hearts of Martha and Mary, and tell me what you think of Him as a comforter. He is a husband to the widow and a father to the fatherless.

The weary may find a resting place upon that breast, and the friendless may reckon Him their friend. He never varies, He never fails, He never dies. His sympathy is ever fresh. His love is ever free. O widow and orphans, O Sorrowing and mourning, will you not thank God for Christ the comforter?

But these are not the points I wish to take up. Let us go to those who knew Christ, and ask what they thought of Him. If you want to find out what a man is nowadays, you inquire about him from those who know him best. I do not wish to be partial; we will go to his enemies, and to his friends. We will ask them, What think ye of Christ? We will ask his friends and his enemies. If we only went to those who liked Him, you would say, “Oh, he is so blind; he thinks so much of the man that he can’t see his faults. You can’t get anything out of him, unless it be in his favor; it is a one-sided affair altogether.” So we shall go in the first place to his enemies, to those who hated Him, persecuted Him, cursed and slew Him. I shall put you in the jury-box, and call upon them to tell us what they think of Him.

First, among the witnesses, let us call upon the Pharisees. We know how they hated him. Let us put a few questions to them. Come, Pharisees, tell us what you have against the Son of God. What do you think of Christ?

Hear what they say! This man receiveth sinners. What an argument to bring against Him! Why, it is the very thing that makes us love Him. It is the glory of the gospel. He receives sinners. If He had not, what would have become of us? Have you nothing more to bring against Him than this? Why, it is one of the greatest compliments that was ever paid Him.

Once more, when He was hanging on the tree, you had this to say of Him, “He saved others, Himself He cannot save.” And so He did save others, but He could not save Himself and save us too. So He laid down His own life for yours and mine. Yes, Pharisees, you have told the truth for once in your lives! He saved others. He died for others. He was a ransom for many; so it is quite true what you think of Him — He saved others, Himself He cannot save.

Now, let us call upon Caiaphas. Let him stand up here in his flowing robes; let us ask him for his evidence. “Caiaphas, you were chief priest when Christ was tried; you were president of the Sanhedrim; you were in the council-chamber when they found Him guilty; you yourself condemned Him. Tell us, what did the witnesses say? On what grounds did you judge Him? What testimony was brought against Him? “He hath spoken blasphemy,” says Caiaphas. “He said, ‘Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.’ When I heard that, I found Him guilty of blasphemy; I rent my mantle, and condemned Him to death.” Yes, all that they had against Him was that He was the Son of God; and they slew Him for the promise of His coming for His bride.

Now, let us summon Pilate. Let him enter the witness box. Pilate, this man was brought before you; you examined Him; you talked with Him face to face, what think ye of Christ? “I find no fault in Him,” says Pilate. “He said He was the King of the Jews” (just as he wrote it over the cross); “but I find no fault in Him.” Such is the testimony of the man who examined Him! And, as he stands there, the center of a Jewish mob, there comes along a man, elbowing his way, in haste. He rushes up to Pilate and, thrusting out his hand, gives him a message. He tears it open; his face turns pale as he reads — “Have thou nothing to do with this just man, for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him.” It is from Pilate’s wife — her testimony to Christ. You want to know what His enemies thought of Him? You want to know what a heathen thought?

Well, here it is, “no fault in Him;” and the wife of a heathen, “this just man!”

And now, look — in comes Judas. He ought to make a good witness. Let us address him. “Come, tell us, Judas, what think ye of Christ. You knew the Master well; you sold Him for thirty pieces of silver; you betrayed Him with a kiss; you saw Him perform those miracles; you were with Him in Jerusalem. In Bethany, when He summoned up Lazarus, you were there. What think ye of Him?” I can see him as he comes into the presence of the chief priests; I can hear the money ring as he dashes it upon the table — “I have betrayed innocent blood! ” Here is the man who betrayed Him, and this is what he thinks of Him! Yes, my friends, God has made every man who had anything to do with the death of his Son put their testimony on record that He was an innocent Man.

Let us take the Centurion, who was present at the execution. He had charge of the Roman soldiers. He had told them to make Him carry his cross; he had given orders for the nails to be driven into His feet and hands, for the spear to be thrust in His side. Let the Centurion come forward. “Centurion, you had charge of the executioners; you saw that the order for His death was carried out; you saw Him die; you heard Him speak upon the cross. Tell us, what think ye of Christ?” Hark! Look at him; he is smiting his breast as he cries, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” I might go to the thief upon the cross, and ask what he thought of Him. At first he railed upon Him and reviled Him. But then he thought better of it. “This man hath done nothing amiss,” he says. I might go further. I might summon the very devils themselves and ask them for their testimony.

Have they anything to say of Him? Why, the very devils called Him the Son of God! In Mark we have the unclean spirit crying, “Jesus, Thou Son of the most High God.” Men say, Oh, I believe Christ to be the Son of God, and because I believe it intellectually, I shall be saved. I tell you the devils did that. And they did more than that, they trembled.

Let us bring in His friends. We want you to hear their evidence. Let us call that prince of preachers. Let us hear the forerunner, the wilderness preacher, John. Save the Master Himself, none ever preached like this man — this man who drew all Jerusalem and all Judea into the wilderness to hear him; this man who burst upon the nations like the flash of a meteor.

Let John the Baptist come with his leather girdle and his hairy coat, and let him tell us what he thinks of Christ. His words, though they were echoed in the wilderness of Palestine, are written in the Book forever, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” This was what John the Baptist thought of Him. “I bear record that He is the Son of God.” No wonder he drew all Jerusalem and Judea to him, because he preached Christ. And whenever men preach Christ, they are sure to have plenty of followers.

Let us bring in Peter, who was with Him on the mount of transfiguration, who was with Him the night He was betrayed. “Come, Peter, tell us what you think of Christ. Stand in this witness box and testify of Him. You denied Him once. You said, with a curse, you did not know Him. Was it true, Peter? Don’t you know Him?” “Know Him!” I can imagine Peter saying; “It was a lie I told them. I did know Him.” Afterwards I can hear him charging home their guilt upon these Jerusalem sinners. He calls Him “both Lord and Christ.” Such was the testimony on the day of Pentecost. “God hath made that same Jesus both Lord and Christ.” And tradition tells us that when they came to execute Peter, he felt he was not worthy to die in the way his Master died, and he requested to be crucified with his head downwards. So much did Peter think of Him!

Now let us hear from the beloved disciple John. He knew more about Christ than any other man. He had laid his head on his Savior’s bosom. He had heard the throbbing of that loving heart. Look into his gospel if you wish to know what he thought of Him.

Matthew writes of Him as the Royal King come from his throne. Mark writes of Him as the servant, and Luke as the Son of Man. John takes up his pen, and with one stroke, forever settles the question of Unitarianism.

He goes right back before the time of Adam. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Look into Revelation. He calls Him “the bright and the Morning Star.” So John thought well of Him — because he knew Him well.

We might bring in Thomas, the doubting disciple. “You doubted Him, Thomas? You would not believe He had risen, and you put your fingers into the wound in His side. What do you think of Him?” “My Lord and my God! ” says Thomas.

Then go over to Decapolis and you will find Christ has been there casting out devils. Let us call the men of that country and ask what they think of Him. “He hath done all things well ,” they say.

But we have other witnesses to bring in. Take the persecuting Saul, once one of the worst of His enemies. Breathing out threatenings, he meets Him. “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” says Christ; and He might have added, “What have I done to you? Have I injured you in any way?

Did I not come to bless you? Why do you treat Me thus, Saul?” And then Saul asks, “Who art Thou, Lord?” “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.” You see, He was not ashamed of His name; although He had been in heaven, “I am Jesus of Nazareth .” What a change did that one interview make to Paul! A few years after we hear him say, “I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dross that I may win Christ.” Such a testimony to the Savior!

But I shall go still further. I shall go away from earth into the other world.

I shall summon the angels and ask what they think of Christ. They saw Him in the bosom of the Father before the world was. Before the dawn of creation; before the morning stars sang together, He was there. They saw Him leave the throne and come down to the manger. What a scene for them to witness! Ask these heavenly beings what they thought of Him then.

For once they are permitted to speak; for once the silence of heaven is broken. Listen to their song on the plains of Bethlehem, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” He leaves the throne to save the world. Is it a wonder the angels thought well of Him?

Then there are the redeemed saints — they that see Him face to face. Here on earth He was never known, no one seemed really to be acquainted with Him; but He was known in that world where He had been from the foundation. What do they think of Him there? If we could hear from heaven, we should hear a shout which would glorify and magnify His name. We are told that when John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s-day, and being caught up, he heard a shout around him, ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands and thousands of voices, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing!” Yes, He is worthy of all this. Heaven cannot speak too well of Him. Oh, that earth would take up the echo, and join with heaven in singing, “WORTHY to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing!”

But there is yet another witness, a higher still. Some think that the God of the Old Testament is the Christ of the New. But when Jesus came out of Jordan, baptized by John, there came a voice from heaven. God the Father spoke. It was His testimony to Christ: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Ah, yes! God the Father thinks well of the Son. And if God is well pleased with Him, so ought we. If the sinner and God are well pleased with Christ, then the sinner and God can meet. The moment you say as the Father said, “I am well pleased with Him,” and accept Him, you are wedded to God. Will you not believe the testimony? Will you not believe this witness, this last of all, the Lord of hosts, the King of kings Himself? Once more He repeats it, so that all may know it. With Peter and James and John, on the mount of transfiguration, He cries again, “This is my beloved Son; hear Him.” And that voice went echoing and re-echoing through Palestine, through all the earth from sea to sea, yes, that voice is echoing still, Hear Him! Hear Him!

My friend, will you hear Him today? Hark! what is He saying to you? “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Will you not think well of such a Savior? Will you not believe Him? Will you not trust in Him with all your heart and mind?