We appeal to those who are sick of the shallows and the shams, sick of doing dead things, "sick unto death" of a fruitless, barren existence.  Oh barren soul, hear the word of the Lord: "That which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die Is the reader trying to five the Christian life?--work for Christ?--bear fruit, etc.? You cannot live until you have died.  Death precedes life.  "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone." J. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, once said: "We know how the Lord Jesus became fruitful-not by bearing His cross merely, but by dying on it.  Do we know much fellowship with Him in this?  There are not two Christs--an easy-going one for easy-going Christians, and a suffering, toiling one for exceptional believers.  There is only one Christ.  Are you willing to abide in Him, and thus to bear much fruit?" Death is still the gateway to life, life from the dead, life multiplied, life manifold.  Self-oblation is still the law of self-preservation, and "self-preservation is the law of self-destruction." We can never escape the law, inexorable and eternal, that self-sacrifice is the condition of all multiplication of life.

Mrs. Penn-Lewis, whose writings have brought blessing to many, tells of a crisis in her life which came after her deliverance from the dominion of sin. While enjoying her happy, joyous experience, she began to read a volume on the Cross.  She says,

As I read the book, I clearly saw the way of the Cross, and all that it would mean.  At first I flung the book away, and said, "No, I will not go that path.  I shall lose all my GLORY experience." But the next day I picked it up again, and the Lord whispered so gently.  "If you want deep life, and unbroken communion, with God, this is the way." I thought, "Shall I? No!" And again I put the book away.  The third day I again picked it up.  Once more the Lord spoke, "If you want fruit, this is the path.  I will not take the conscious joy from you; you may keep it if you like; but it is either that for yourself, or this and fruit.--Which will you have?" And then, by His grace, I said, "I choose the path for fruitfulness," and every bit of conscious experience closed.  I walked for a time in such complete darkness--the darkness of faith--that it seemed almost as if God did not exist.  And again, by His grace, I said, "Yes, I have only got what I agreed to," and on I went.  I did not know what the out-come of this would be, until I went to take some meetings, and then I saw the fruit. . . . From that hour I understood, and knew, intelligently, that it was dying, not doing, that produced spiritual fruit. . . . The secret of a fruitful life is--in brief--to pour out to others and want nothing for yourself: to leave yourself utterly in the hands of God and not care what happens to you.