ONE evening I met an elderly man with a wallet and a mason's hammer slung over his shoulder. He accosted me with these words: "I say, maister, it's hard work, this I've in hand." "Indeed," I said; "what is it?" "Why, traveling about from place to place, seeking work and getting none.”
After making several inquiries, and giving him a trifle, I said, "Your present condition is just like that of a soul without Christ— ever seeking rest and finding none. Away from Him there is no rest or peace; but it is blessed to know that He said, Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'" (Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28).)
“Well, maister, I’se not a repping and swearing man, I can assure ye.”
“I am not saying you are; but you do not expect to be saved simply because you do not swear?”
“Well, no," he replied.
“How do you expect to be saved?" I said. "By praying to Christ," said he.
“You cannot be saved simply because you pray to Christ," I replied, "right as it is to pray. Our salvation depends upon what Christ has done. His merit saves. There is no merit in prayer.”
He looked perplexed, and, after a short pause, said, "I real my Bible, sir.”
“Reading your Bible will not save you any more than abstaining from swearing, or merely praying, will. These things, good as they are in their proper place, will not cleanse our souls from one single sin; only the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin.' (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7).) Christ alone can save us.”
Not willing to be thus robbed of the thought that he could do something to merit salvation, he said—
“I never lies down at night, sir, without saying this prayer: O Lord, keep me and all mankind this night, Amen.'”
“Does it do you any good?" said I. "Well, sir, it's better nor nothin'.”
“Does it give you peace of conscience after you have said it?”
“No," he said, thoughtfully.
“After repeating it can you say, Well, if God calls me before morning I shall wake up in glory?'”
“No, sir, I can't," he replied.
“My friend," I said, "your good deeds, your reading, aid your praying cannot give you peace of conscience—peace with God. Nothing but faith in what God has said in His word can give you peace"; and, turning to Rom, 5:1, I read these words, "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“You may remember," I continued, "that when the jailor at Philippi cried, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' the answer was, `Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved.'" (Acts 16:30, 3130And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:30‑31).)
“Yes, sir, I do," he replied.
My dear reader, it may be that you, like this old man, have a thought lurking in your heart that there is something you can do for God, that you can make yourself more acceptable to Him by reading the Bible, or by praying, and so you may be expecting salvation as much from your own efforts as from the Lord Jesus. These things will not save you, you must be willing to be saved upon the ground of the blood Christ shed for sinners alone. It is because of Christ's atonement that God can "be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Rom. 3:2626To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:26)); on this ground alone can a sinner obtain the forgiveness of sins. (Matt. 26:2828For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28).) J. H. I—G.