What Is It That Saves a Soul?

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PREFACE

When, at the request of the Publisher, I undertook to furnish an answer to that important question, "What is it that saves a soul?" I intended merely to write a few pages. But as I wrote, I found the subject to grow under my hand, and thoughts and ideas to flow into my soul. I felt, especially when I came to the second part of my subject, namely, salvation as an inward possession--that it could not be dispatched in a few common-place words, but that it demanded what I could not bestow--pages of life and feeling, unction and power--to set it forth so as to meet the needs of God's tried family. I saw on every side of me "salvation as an internal reality", unknown, unprized, uncared for, unregarded.

Some I saw, who called themselves ministers of God, zealous enough for salvation outwardly, sound in the letter of truth, and contending earnestly for the doctrines of grace, who either never spoke of salvation inwardly, or if they mentioned it at all, dispatched it in a few meager sentences, which were usually so mixed with error that they only puzzled simple souls and discovered to a discerning eye, the ignorance and emptiness of the preacher.

Others I observed who, from their pomposity and conceit, seemed to think that "wisdom would die with them", pulling down what God in His Word has built up, and building up what He has pulled down. These would-be teachers I saw setting up forms, ceremonies, ordinances, prayer-meetings, church membership, family prayer, and a thousand other 'external things', all good in their place, as if they were the sum and substance of vital godliness. Thus the ins and outs, the ups and downs, the mysterious workings, the invisible track, the inward conflict, and all that peculiar, deep, ever-changing, fluctuating path which is trodden by the family of God--I saw to be either never touched upon or, if attempted to be entered into, so mystified, confounded, and misrepresented, that a living soul was more distressed and perplexed by all that he heard, than comforted and encouraged.

The question with most seemed to be– "Are you an Arminian or a Calvinist? If the former, you are a foe; if the latter, a friend." And thus the most dangerous and insidious enemies of vital godliness are received into the camp of Christ because they can repeat the 'watchword' and wear the dress of His soldiers. Thus I saw truth to be fallen in the streets, vital godliness uncared for, external things highly regarded, Christ's sheep unfed, and the devil's goats unseparated. So that I felt myself led to insist on an internal salvation at greater length than I at first intended, though with the deepest consciousness of my ignorance and inexperience.

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