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A Greater Crowd Than Ever. “T u e sd ay n igh t cam e an d th e re w as a g re a te r c row d th a n ever. T h e p re a c h e r sa id : ‘T u rn to th e th ird c h a p te r o f Jo h n a n d th e six teen th v e rse an d you w ill find m y te x t,’ an d h e p re a c h e d his sixth se rm o n from th a t w on d e rfu l tex t, ‘F o r G o d so lo v ed th e w o rld ,’ etc. T h e y th o u g h t th a t serm on b e tte r th a n an y of th e rest. It seem ed as if every h e a rt was on fire, a n d sinners cam e pressing into th e k in g d om o f G od . “O n W ed n e sd a y nigh t p eo p le th o u g h t th a t p ro b a b ly h e w ould change his te x t now , as h e cou ld no t ta lk an y lo n g e r on love. T h e re was g re a t excitem en t to see w h a t h e was going to say. H e sto o d b e fo re us again an d he s a id : ‘My friends, I h av e b e en try ing to g et a tex t, b u t I c a n n o t find an y so g o o d as th e old one, so w e w ill again tu rn to th e th ird c h a p te r o f J o h n an d th e six te en th v e rse .’ H e p re a c h e d th e sev en th serm on from th a t w on d e rfu l text. “ I h av e n ev e r fo rg o tten tho se nights. I h av e p re a c h e d a d ifferent G o spel since, an d I h a v e h a d m o re pow e r w ith G o d an d m an since then . “ In closing up th a t sev en th se r m on he sa id : ‘F o r seven nights I h av e b e en try in g to tell you how m uch G o d lov ed you, b u t this poor, stamm ering tongu e o f m ine w ill n o t le t me. If I cou ld ascend J a c o b ’s la d d e r an d ask G abriel, w ho sta n d s in th e p resence o f th e A lm ighty, to tell m e how m uch love G o d th e F a th e r h as fo r this p o o r lo st w o rld , all th a t G ab rie l cou ld say w ou ld b e th a t “G o d so lov ed th e w o rld th a t H e g av e H is only b e g o tte n Son, th a t w ho so ev er b eliev e th in H im shou ld n o t perish, b u t h av e everlasting life.” ’ W h en h e go t th ro u g h p re a c h ing th e re w e h a d to get th e largest bu ild ing in C hicago a n d th e n th o u sand s w en t aw ay b ecau se th ey could n o t g e t in.
te x t.’ H e p re a c h e d a w o n d e rfu l se r m on from th a t tex t, ‘F o r G o d so lo v ed th e w o rld th a t H e gav e H is on ly b e g o tte n Son, th a t w ho soever b eliev e th in H im shou ld n o t perish, b u t h av e everlasting life.’ “My w ife h a d to ld m e he h a d p re a c h e d th e tw o p rev iou s serm on s from th a t tex t, a n d I no ticed th e re w as a sm ile ov e r th e house w h en he to o k th e sam e text. In stead of p re a ch in g th a t G o d w as b eh in d th em w ith a d o u b le -ed g ed sw o rd to hew th em dow n, h e to ld th em G o d w a n t ed every sinner to b e sav ed because H e lo v ed them . I cou ld n o t keep b a c k th e tears. I d id n ’t know G o d th o u g h t so m uch o f me. It w as w o n d e rfu l to h e a r th e w ay h e b ro u g h t ou t Scripture. H e w en t from G e n esis to R ev e la tio n a n d p re a c h e d th a t in all ages G o d lo v ed th e sinner. “O n S u n d ay nigh t th e re w as a larg e c row d cam e to h e a r him . H e to o k fo r his te x t th e th ird c h a p te r o f J o h n a n d th e six teen th verse, an d he p re a c h e d his fou rth serm on from th a t w on d e rfu l text, ‘F o r G o d so lo v ed th e w o rld ,’ etc., a n d h e w en t from G enesis to R ev e la tio n to show th a t it w as love, love, love, th a t b ro u g h t C h rist from h e av en— th a t m ad e H im step from th e th ro n e to lift up this p o o r fallen w o rld . H e struck a higher ch o rd th a t nigh t an d it w as glorious. “T h e n ex t n igh t th e re w as a n im m ense c row d a n d he sa id : ‘T u rn to th e th ird c h a p te r of Jo h n an d th e six teen th v e rse ,’ a n d h e p re a ch ed his fifth serm on from th a t w ond e rfu l text. H e d id n o t d iv id e th e te x t up in to firstly, secondly, th ird ly , b u t he to o k th e w ho le te x t a n d th rew it a t them . I th o u g h t th a t serm on was b e tte r th a n ever. I go t so full o f love th a t I go t up an d to ld m y ‘friend s how m uch G o d lov ed them . T he w ho le church w as on fire b e fo re th e w eek was over.
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