JESUS ONLY! BY J. OSWALD JACKSON. "And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save "God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord "None but Christ! None but Christ!"-WORDS OF A DYING LONDON: WARD & CO., 27, PATERNOSTER ROW. 141. L. 202. Address to the Reader. DEAR READER, -Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy soul? Is all right between thee and thy God? Is the great question of thy soul's salvation settled? I do not ask, Art thou rich or poor? Art thou learned or unlearned? Art thou of this party or the other?-but, Is it well with thy soul in prospect of the long eternity that is before thee? Dost thou say, "I fear all is not right; I fear my sins are not forgiven; I am afraid to die. But I long to have peace; my earnest desire is to find salvation?" Then, this little book comes to you in all affection, and is written to lead you, by the Divine blessing, step by step, until your feet are firmly planted on "the only foundation," the ROCK OF AGES. Read it thoughtfully; read it with prayer; and read it, especially the first half of it, regularly through, as it is intended to lead the mind progressively into the knowledge of the great salvation. Its subjects are various, but all are written with this purpose, to show you your need of Christ, and the riches of his grace and mercy to you. May the Holy Spirit bless these pages to your soul's salvation! A2 "One thing is needful." THIS is the language of the True and Faithful Witness, who cannot lie, cannot exaggerate, but who was the TRUTH itself. Jesus, who died to redeem man's soul, thus assures us that the salvation of the soul is the " one thing needful." We must confess it is strong language. The Saviour throws into comparative insignificance all other claims or pursuits; He seems to say that whatever else a man is, whatever else he does, is of little consequence; but to secure his salvation is absolutely essential -the one thing needful. A man may be rich, or poor; he may become learned, or remain uncultivated and ignorant; he may succeed in life, or meet with reverses; he may have health, or be afflicted with perpetual pain; he may be surrounded by friends, or stand in the world friendless and alone:--and it is of little consequence, for life is short, and will soon be over; but not so with the salvation of the soul. If a man secure not that, all his other circumstances are as nothing; that is the one thing needful. The general of an army may be a clever draughtsman, or not; a politician, or not; he may write poetry, or not have the "gift divine;" he may shine in literature, or be in books a name unknown; but to fulfil his mission, to carry out his destiny, he must understand military tactics. So a lawyer may be a man of science, or not; he may be a good linguist, or not; he may have a turn for mechanical invention, or not; but as far as success in his profession is concerned, he must understand law. So the pilot of a vessel: he may be acquainted with all countries, and have sailed in all seas; but unless "ONE THING IS NEEDFUL." 5 he know how to steer his barque safely amid the rocks and shoals of the particular waters he has undertaken to navigate, his knowledge of other subjects and other seas will be in vain. So with the salvation of the soul. God has sent us each one into the world to secure our salvation, and to obey his will in first securing our salvation. This is our mission. This is the first great claim. Other things are to be made subordinate. This is the great end of being. "Life is before us as a trial-time of uncertain length, but short at the longest, in which we may fit ourselves, if we will, for an eternal life beyond it. This is life to each of us, and this is our proper business; all the rest that we do, or can do, however splendid, however useful, is or should be done only subordinately." The design of the Bible is to teach us how best to effect this important object. The design of Jesus Christ's coming into the world was the same. He came to be our way to the Father." He came to teach us how to secure that better life beyond the present. He came to arouse our careless minds to see the importance of the one thing needful, and to show us how we may make it ours. And, dear reader, he is now sounding in the inner chambers of your being the injunction, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all other things shall be added to you.” 66 |