Bible Truths Illustrated by J. C. Ferdinand Pittman

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BIBLE TRUTHS ILLUSTRATED
of you, that you are of the non-elect, and that it is of no use
your trying to be saved. Put away any idea of that kind. Let
God speak to you by His own word. Let Him, and not commentators,
say what He means. And if you will study God's
own word as it is, you will find that in everything He does,
His character is vindicated, and, like the sun at noontide, it
stands out clearly in its resplendent glory and perfectness.
M. W. Green.
273. A poor negro was laboring hard to bring his master to
a knowledge of the truth, and was urging him to exercise faith
in Christ, when he excused himself because he could not understand
the doctrine of election. "Ah ! massa," said the negro,
"don't you know what comes before de Epistle to de Romans?
You must read de Book de right way : de doctrine of election
is in Romans, and dere is Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John first.
You are only in Matthew yet ; dat is about repentance ; and
when you get to John you will read where de Lord Jesus Christ
said dat God so loved de world dat He gave His only begotten
Son, dat whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but
hab everlasting life." So, says C. H. Spurgeon, you will do
better by reading the four Gospels first than by beginning to
read in Romans; first study Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
and then you can go on to the Epistles.
274. Do you say: "I believe in foreordination, and am waiting
'God's time"'? What farmer, when the sun runs high, and the
earth is ready for the seed, and the small rain and the dew are
coming on the earth, says : "I believe in foreordination ; I shall
not take the trouble to plant. If I'm to have a harvest, I shall
have one"? Or what merchant, when he goes to his store in
the morning, says : "If I'm to have a good, large heap of money
in my till to-night, I shall have it there. No need for me to
trouble myself to please customers ; I believe in foreordination" ?
Men are not fools enough for this in temporal concerns, though
plenty of them are so in regard to the interests of their souls.
No, when they see God working for them in nature, they take
hold with a right good will, and work too. . . . But when it
comes to spiritual work, they hold quickly back, and exclaim,
"Oh ! Foreordination !" But this will be no plea for them,
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