September 8

The joy supreme

“They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever” (Dan. 12:3).
“Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins” (James 5:20).

Even if I were utterly selfish and had no care for anything but my own happiness, I would choose if I might, under God, to be a soul winner; for never did I know perfect, overflowing, unutterable happiness of the purest and most ennobling order till I first heard of one who had sought and found the Savior through my means. No young mother ever so rejoiced over her firstborn child, no warrior ever was so exultant over a hard-won victory.—C. H. Spurgeon.


“I would think it a greater happiness to gain one soul to Christ,” declared Matthew Henry, “than mountains of silver and gold to myself. If God suffers me to labor in vain, though I should get hundreds a year by my labor, it would be the constant grief and trouble of my soul. And if I do not gain souls, I shall enjoy all my other gains with very little satisfaction.”

Dr. Doddridge wrote to a friend: “I long for the conversion of souls more sensibly than anything else. Methinks I could not only labor but die for it with pleasure. The love of Christ constraineth me.”

While lying on what was his deathbed, David Brainerd said: “My greatest joy and comfort has been to do something for promoting the interests of religion, and the souls of particular persons, and now in my illness, while I am full of pain and distress, from day to day, all the comfort I have is in being able to do some little char (or small piece of work) for God, either by something that I say, or by writing, or by some other way.”

We bear the torch that, flaming, fell from the hands of those
Who gave their lives proclaiming that Jesus died and rose;
Ours is the same commission, the same glad message ours,
Fired by the same ambition, to Thee we yield our powers.

O Father, Who sustained them! O Spirit Who inspired!
Savior, Whose love constrained them to toil with zeal untired,
From cowardice defend us, from lethargy awake!
Forth on Thine errands send us to labor for Thy sake.

—Bishop Houghton.
(Evangelical Christian).

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