go forward, my brother, and God will justify you. If, twenty years
ago, I had stopped for Christian friends to sanction and to open the
door, I should have waited till today, and the number of souls God,
in His infinite mercy, has given me, I should not have gathered. But
I did not wait for anybody's sanction to my Lord and Master's call;
but said, "Lord, if I die in attempting it, I will do it." He seldom
lets people die in attempting His will. He stands by them, and gives
them abundant fruit.

A lady said to me the other day, "You know my father is a Christian,
and I am so afraid of going opposite to him." "Yes," I said, "that is
quite a right feeling; I respect that feeling in you." But she was a
woman of considerably matured age, and I added, "But is your father
awake to the interests of God's kingdom as he ought to be?" She
replied, "I dare not say he is." "I suppose," I said "he is
comparatively old--a sort of dried-up Christian, who has lost the
vigor and enterprise of his youthful days, when he wanted to go out
and make everybody Christian?" "Yes," she said, "he has gone sadly
behind in his zeal for the kingdom of Jesus Christ." "Now," I said,
"God holds you responsible, just as He holds any other being. _He
has not two codes-one for men and one for women._ There will be no
two judgment seats, whatever men do here. God will hold you
responsible for obedience to the teaching of His Spirit, and the
leading of His providence, as much as your brother. What shall you
say? You will be in the position of the man who said, 'Suffer me
first to go and bury my father.'" She said, "I am afraid I shall."

Now, I say, let us settle this, you Protestant Christians here.
Because Catholicism has abused this principle, that a man is to leave
his father and mother, and houses and lands, if needs be, is that any