Adventures in the Far West | Page 9

you had better try it over." And dwarf
Doubtful would rattle on much more in the same strain.
Just then Pilgrim Exactly would feel of his side, and his hand would
touch the handle of the sword of the Spirit. Just when he would about
draw it to deal Giant Doubtful a blow, Doubtful would say, "There can

be no harm in being sure. If you cross over Jordan properly you will be
satisfied, and it will not take long to go back and do a really thorough
work of it."
At this Exactly wilted, dropped the sword, staggered toward his
memorial stone, and, lifting it to his shoulders, limped back toward the
Jordan to cross and recross again.
But the next day when Pilgrim Exactly got over into Canaan with the
same stone, because there was no other stone in there when he crossed,
as every man has his own stone, he would plant it as before.
One day, however, after planting the stone, he said, "By the grace of
God, I am done with doubting."
When the little old dwarf Giant Doubtful came out that day, Pilgrim
Exactly swung a terrific cut with the sword straight at the dwarf's neck.
Doubtful never before ran so fast as he did getting away from that
trusty sword. Since then Exactly has advanced into the land, overcome
several other giants, and won a home for himself in Canaan.
The feeling of unreality which you have in regard to your consecration
may be the result of your vacillation. No one can feel sure of his
condition if he consecrates and then deserts his word, consecrates again
and then doubts that. All of this should and must be cut off shortly by
your honoring your own word and refusing to be confused about it. It
can be ended by gathering yourself in hand in coming to a real, final
conclusion in favor of your sanctification. If you are as consecrated as
you know how to consecrate, then that should be sufficient. In that case,
all you lack is to bring the affair to a point, a conclusion, and give it all
over to God, and let that be the end of it.
Now that you are ready to make this final decision, it will be worth
while for you to examine your consecration. Are there any idols to
which your affections fondly cling? Is it a delight to do something for
Christ in behalf of others? Does it seem hard for you to give of your
money to the blessed cause? Is prayer a burden? Are you really all the
Lord's? Do not make the mistake of thinking a good disposition toward

Jesus is consecration. To consecrate means to come definitely to the
point of yielding all up to Christ once forever.
Possibly one reason for your feeling of unreality is because you can not
see God and can not hear Him say, "I receive you." If God could be
right before you as a visible person while you knelt and gave yourself
to Him, you might think your experience more real. But it would not be.
His word has been given, and it is "him that cometh to me I will in no
wise cast out" (John 6:37), and He asks us to "bring ... all the tithes into
the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me
now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the
windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be
room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10). Faith comes in all our
dealings with God. He may appear not to notice us; but rest assured that
He does.
Of course, after consecrating and doubting you have lost confidence in
yourself; but this, too, should end quickly, and it will if you pursue a
right course. To recover your self-reliance, self-balance, dismiss all the
discouraging and doubtful thoughts about yourself. Take a real
inventory of yourself. What are you, anyway? Are you honest? Does
your word mean anything? Can you carry out a resolution? a decision?
Very well then, refuse to be bothered about the past. Quit thinking of
the past; utterly dismiss it from mind, and calmly and deliberately
consecrate, and mean it.
Another difficulty in regard to consecration is that you may think you
have lost yours when it is a trial sometimes to live up to it. You may
think that to be consecrated means that every duty will seem delightful.
In this you are mistaken. Did not Jesus, at one with the Father in will
and mind, pray three times, 'O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup
pass from me. Nevertheless not my will, but thine be done'?