ut when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome
him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted [unbelief,
false views of God, worldliness, and love of sin], and divideth his
spoils." The devil keeps the heart, because Christ desires it for
His throne--until Christ drives Him out.

Mr. M.--What is the meaning of the promise?--"Him that _cometh_ unto
Me I will in no wise cast out."

Mr. R.--I think we often put the emphasis upon the wrong word.
People are troubled about how they are going to come, when they
should put the emphasis on Him to whom they are coming. "Him that
cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out:" no matter how he may
come. I remember hearing this incident at an after-meeting. A
gentleman was speaking to an anxious inquirer, telling him to _come_
to Christ, to _trust_ in Christ; but the man seemed to get no
comfort. He said that was just where he found his difficulty. By and
by, another friend came and spoke to the anxious one. All he said
was: "Come to CHRIST; trust in CHRIST." The man saw it in a minute.
He went and told the other gentleman, "I see the way of salvation
now." "Tell me," said he, "what did that man say to you?" "Well, he
told me to trust in Christ." "That is what I told you." "Nay, you
bade me _trust_ in Christ, and _come_ to Christ; he bade me trust in
_Christ_, and come to _Christ_." That made all the difference.

Mr. M.--What does Christ mean by the words "_in no wise?_"

Mr. R.--It means that if the sins of all sinners on earth and all
the devils in hell were upon your soul, He will not refuse you. Not
even in the range of God's omniscience is there a reason why Christ
will refuse any poor sinner who comes to Him for pardon.

Mr. M.--What is the salvation He comes to proclaim and to bestow?

Mr. R.--To deliver us from the power of darkness and the bottomless
pit, and set us upon the throne of glory. It is salvation from death
and hell, and curse and ruin. But that is only the half of it. It is
salvation to God, and light, and glory, and honor, and immortality;
and from earth to heaven.

Mr. M.--If the friends here do not come and get this salvation, what
will be the true reason?

Mr. R.--Either they are fond of some sin which they do not intend to
give up, or they do _not_ believe they are in a lost condition, and
under the curse of God, and therefore do not feel their need of Him
who "came to seek and to save that which was lost." Or they do not
beli