“But in the very face of all this evil God still loved the world; and he so loved it that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  And I declare him to you to-day as my Savior and your Savior; able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God through him.  And what does he save us from?  He saves us from hell.  And what is hell?  I say to you that it is the place where the devil, and all his angels and evil spirits of men live after they leave this world.  It is the fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  It is the everlasting fire into which the accursed depart.  It is the place from which the rich man lifted up his eyes, tormented, as he himself confessed, sorely tormented in this flame.  But, dear friends, God does not will that any of us should go to hell; for he says:  ’As I live, I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner, but would that all should turn and live.’

“And he tells us how we are to turn and live.  He says to all:  ’Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’  Repent, that your sins may be blotted out.  And what is it to repent?  It is to turn away the heart from the love of sin.  It is to die unto sin and live unto God.  The meaning of my text is not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies to fulfill the lusts thereof.  And what does true repentance lead to?  It leads to a life of obedience to all the commands of our Lord Jesus Christ.  ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name,’ that means in obedience to the command ’of Jesus Christ, ... and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.’  This takes in all.  It may be that some who hear me to-day are very far off.  Still, friend, the promise is to you.  And more:  I am sure you are hearing the Gospel to-day, so God is calling you now, and the promise is to as many as the Lord our God shall call, and this means every one who hears the Gospel sound.

“When I was young I was afraid I had sinned against the Holy Ghost.  But I found some precious words from the lips of our blessed Lord himself that took away all my fear and gave me a hope which has never, up to this time, left my heart.  You begin to wonder what precious words these were.  I will tell you where they are and you can find them yourself.  John’s Gospel, sixth chapter, and the thirty-seventh verse is where they are, and these are the words:  ’And whosoever cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.’  The word whosoever takes in every one, without exception.  I tell you joyfully, it took me in, and it has kept me in, and by the grace of God it will keep me in forever.