An Old-Time Preacher Hits Hard: The Wrong Way to Seek

 •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 5
 
"What we all need in this house is Jesus—Jesus—each and every weary heart in this city needs Jesus." I preached this at Ocean Grove on one of my trips. At the close of the service when we reached the cottage where I was a guest, a lady and her husband were sitting on the veranda.
When I got to the steps she rose and said: "I am waiting to see you. I want to talk with you. I am a seeking sinner. I have been seeking Christ for ten years."
I replied, "There is something wrong. It does not take a seeking sinner and a seeking Savior ten years to find one another. There is something wrong."
She replied: "I have traveled from the Atlantic to the Pacific. I have been in every city of any size in the Union, and have heard the best preachers in America. I have spent a fortune attending revival meetings, with the hope of finding what I want. I have read books, but I have not been able to find what I have heard you preach, and I made up my mind that I would have a talk with you."
I said: "You have made a mistake. Go straight to Jesus. Go to your room. Turn the key in the door and stay there and never look into another human face, never seek another service, never read another book, never hear another sermon."
"Do you know," said the lady, "what you are telling me?"
"Yes, shut that all off. We can only aggravate your condition, we cannot help you. It is not us you want. What you want is an interview with Jesus, and you are looking for men and words and "isms." It is Christ you want, and a five minute interview with the Son of God will end all your misery.
"It is Jesus you want. Your case is too deep for us. Our fingers are not long enough. We cannot reach the spot anymore than we can lift this planet on our shoulders, or paint a rosebud, or swing the rainbow in the heavens, or trill the lark's song, or give perfume to the blossom.
"No, we cannot, but we know One who can. He is able, He is willing. When you commit yourself to Him it will be done. It is Jesus you need."
Gypsy Smith "Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth." Isa. 53:4-74Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:4‑7).