ADDRESSES ON ROMANS
understand then what the man meant, but later he came into an experimental knowledge of the sixth chapter of Romans. He gave up his desire to be a great preacher, and began telling the simple truths, exalting the Lord, thereby laying the foun~ dation for the Reformation. Up to that time people had seen only him; now they saw only Christ. To put away all boast~ ing and spiritual pride, is to be crucified with Christ. ' I remember that when I was at The Moody Bible Insti~ tute, I heard the late Dr. F. B. Meyer tell how he came into this truth. He said, in part: "My soul was saturated with the message of the sixth chapter of Romans; therefore, I prepared a sermon on the subject to be delivered the following Lord's Day. When that day came, as I stood before the mirror to adjust my tie before going into the pulpit, I thought of my sermon. I began to enumerate the points, thinking of the cross. Then I said to myself, 'Have I ever been on that cross? Potentially I was on the cross with Christ, but in experience have I ever been there? Have my pride, my hunger for popu~ larity, my greed.....-have these ever been put there? Have I felt the loneliness. the sorrow, the agony Christ felt on Calvary?' This humbled me, and I fell to my knees, trying to pray; but I could not. Something seemed to say, 'Have you been on that cross?' I got up from my knees and walked to my mirror and said, 'Oh, God! Nail my pride, my love of self, my desire for popularity, my greed, all the lusts of the flesh to the cross.' Then I could actually see myself hanging there, dying with Christ. Instead of preaching the sermon I had planned. I told my congregation of this experience and made an appeal that every Christian get on his knees and stay there until he saw himself on the cross." This was the experience of that great man of God, and this was the secret of his success. ยท Christ took the "old man" to the cross. Have you ever said to yourself, "Sinfulness, passion. and pride, I put you where the sinless Christ put you; hang on the cross where God has placed you"? This is the pathway of victory. Reckon yourself "to be dead indeed unto sin." Page%)
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