COME


There is not a girl or boy here this morning who does not feel within
the desire to do good. The drawing power of good--in other words, the
drawing power of God. He it is who says to you, "Come."

I want to illustrate this by a few things which I have here. The first
is this magnet. And here are some small nails. These tiny nails
represent girls and boys of about eleven or twelve years of age. I apply
the magnet to these nails and I lift up--can you see me--twenty-five or
thirty nails. You see it is a great deal easier to respond to the
drawing power of good, to answer the great "Come," in girlhood and
boyhood.

Now here are some nails that are a little larger. I can lift up only
five or six of these larger nails. They represent young people of
eighteen or nineteen. As one gets older he does not hear as readily, at
least he does not answer, Christ's blessed "Come."

Next we have some nails still larger. The magnet will lift up only one
or two of these. They stand for men and women in mature life. Oh, if one
has not responded to Christ's call in childhood or youth, it becomes
increasingly difficult as the years pass. How seldom, how very seldom,
does an aged one answer the divine call and give his heart to the Lord!

Here is a very large nail, and it is rusty. Indeed it is literally
coated with rust. This represents the life that is deep in sin. For long
years this life has been persisting in his evil ways. As the magnet must
be very strong to penetrate the rust and grip the nail, so Christ's call