Rests by the River; Devotional Meditations

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 edition. Excerpt: ... CHRISTIAN WITNESS-BEARING "There was a man sent from God; the same came for witness, to bear witness of the Light."--John i. 6, 7. A MAN sent from God to bear witness-- DEGREESA- that was surely a vast machinery for a very trivial end! We could understand a man sent from God to give a revelation. We could understand a man sent from God to make a discovery. We could understand a man sent from God to be a redeemer. But to bear witness to a belief--is not that an easy thing, a thing which any man could do! No; I think it is just the most difficult thing in the world--especially if the belief happens to be unfashionable. If you know a man to be misrepresented by his enemy and if that enemy should be one whom you wish to conciliate, it is very difficult for you to avoid keeping silence; you find it safer not "to bear witness." The sin of society is often CHRISTIAN WITNESS-BEARING 279 said to be evil-speaking. I do not think so. I think it is failure to speak good. You sit beside one at dinner who descants upon the fault of another. You know that to believe in the fault of that other is a pleasure to him, for he does not like the man. You are quite aware all the time that the allegation is exaggerated. But you would be sorry to lose the opportunity of winning the favour of your companion. He is a man of influence; he can help you; he is worth cultivating. Your resort is therefore to silence. You do not echo his testimony; but you abstain from contradicting it; you mutter something like, "Oh, if that is the case it is very bad!" It is far easier to believe in a thing than to bear witness to a thing. When I was a very young man a lady once said to me with great earnestness, "If you ever find any truth in spiritualism, be sure you do not tell it; it...