---

What is the way, the way of salvation? Jesus Christ says, "I am the way." This is the entrance into the way, and this is the track of that way even to the end — trust in Christ. "Are not good works needed?" says one. They always flow from faith in Christ. Such being the way, it is very simple. Straight as an arrow, is it not? And yet in this way there are stumbling-blocks.

I. LET US SHOW WHY THIS IS.

1. The way of believing is such an uncommon way. Men do not understand the way of trusting. They want to see, to reason, to argue. How very difficult it would be for a cow, that has always lived by the day the short life that can be fed on grass, if it had to live by reason, as men do. And when man has to live by faith he is as awkward at it as a cow would be at reasoning. He is out of his element.

2. Men, when they are really seeking salvation, are often much troubled in mind. They feel that if God be just He must punish them for their wrong-doing. And when they are told that if they believe in Jesus Christ all manner of sin and of blasphemy shall be forgiven, they wonder how it can be. Conscience makes unbelievers of us all; and stumbling-blocks are created by our trembling condition.

3. Besides this, men are often ignorant of the way of salvation. I am not speaking now as though I blamed them. I was brought up to attend the house of God regularly. Yet when I began to see the Lord, I did not know the way of salvation. I knew the letter of it, but not the real meaning: how can a man know it till the Spirit of God reveals it to him?

4. Satan is always ready to prevent souls from finding peace in Christ. Thus have I shown why there are so many stumbling-blocks.

II. Now I am going to TRY TO LIFT SOME OF THEM OUT OF THE WAY.

1. Here is one of them. One man says, "I would fain believe in this Jesus Christ of whom you tell me, but if I were to come to God through Christ, would He receive me? "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." In all the history of the human race there never has been found a man that came to Jesus Christ whom Christ rejected yet.

2. "But," says another, "I am a very peculiar person. I could very well believe that any man in the world who trusted Christ would be saved except myself; but I cannot think that He would save me, for I am so odd. Ah, I am odd myself, and I had the same feeling that you have. I thought that I was a lot left out of the catalogue. If you knew other people you would find that there are other strange people besides yourself; and if God saves so many strange people, why should He not save you? He delights to do wonders. He will crowd heaven with curiosities of mercy.

3. But I hear another say, "Sir, I have such a horrible sense of sin; I cannot rest in my bed! I cannot think that I shall be saved." Wait a bit there; let me speak to this person over here. What is your trouble? "My trouble is, sir, that I have no sense of sin. I know that I am a sinner, and a great sinner; but I do not think that I shall be saved, for I have no horrible thoughts " Will you change with the other man? Will he change with you? I should not advise either of you to make any change; for, in the first place, despairing thoughts-are — not necessary to salvation; and, in the second place, so long as you know yourself a sinner, and are willing to confess it, such thoughts are untrue. Despairing one, look to the Cross and live; and thou who dost not despair, look to the same Cross and live; for there is salvation for every eye that looks to Jesus crucified.

4. A trembler cries, "I am afraid to come and trust Christ, because I do not know whether I am one of the elect." If you trust Jesus Christ I will tell you then that you are Go ' elect, to a certainty.

5. "All," says another, person, "I think I have committed this unpardonable sin. Do you long to he delivered from .the power of sin? Then you have not committed the unpardonable sin, because it is a sin unto death, and after a man commits it he never has a living wish or desire after God from that moment.

6. "Oh, but," says another person, "my stumbling-block is this: that the whole thing seems too good to be true, that I, by simply believing in Jesus Christ, shall be saved. I confess that it does seem too good to be true, but it is not. God in Christ Jesus is clearly capable of marvellous deeds of grace. There are some stumbling-blocks that I cannot remove; they must always stand there, I am afraid.

7. An objector says to me. "I would believe in Jesus; I have no fault to find with Him, but, then, look at His followers, many of them are hypocrites. We do look at His professed followers, and the tears are in our eyes, for the worst enemies He has are they of His own household. Suppose Judas does betray Christ, is Christ any the worse for that? You are not asked to trust in Judas, you are asked to trust in Christ. The reason why it pays to make bad sovereigns is because, good ones are so valuable; and that is why it pays certain people, as they think, to pass themselves off as Christians. If there were no real Christians, there would be no pretenders to that name.

8. "But," says another, "here is my stumbling-block: if I were to believe in Christ, and become a Christian, I should have to alter my whole life." Just so. There would have to be a turning of everything upside down," but then He that sits upon the throne says, "Behold, I make all things new.

9. "Oh, but," says one, "I should have to run the gauntlet in my family if I became a Christian." Which is the better thing, do you think — to be sneered at for doing right or to be commended for doing wrong?

( C. H. Spurgeon.)

---

---

KJV: And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.

WEB: He will say, "Cast up, cast up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people."