AT a gospel preaching in a large hall some months since, the preacher took for his text four verses in the seventh chapter of Micah. First, verse 3 and 4: “That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up. The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.” Secondly, verse 18 and 19 of the same chapter: “Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger forever, because He delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
The preacher dwelt a good deal upon the folly of endeavoring to hide or cover up our sins, for God knows all, and there is no way of escape from His omniscient eye. “Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in the grave (sheol), behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee” (Psa. 139:7-127Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. (Psalm 139:7‑12)). “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)). “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Cor. 5:1010For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)). And as the Spirit of God, through the wise man, once said: “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth; and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment” (Eccl. 11:99Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. (Ecclesiastes 11:9)). “The day of Thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.”
But let us turn for a moment to the brighter side. “Who is a God like unto Thee, that paoneth iniquity... passeth by transgression... retaineth not His anger forever, because He delighteth in mercy.” On the cross, mercy and truth met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
“The new and living way
Stands open now to heaven;
Thence where the blood is seen alway,
God’s gift is given.
The river of His grace,
Through righteousness supplied,
Is flowing o’er the barren place
Where Jesus died!”
Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. The sins of the believer are not only cast into the sea, but into the depths of the sea. A burial at sea is a very solemn thing to witness, and we are told that there are some parts of the sea that never give up their dead.
Some time ago a party went from a nobleman’s mansion in Ireland. Six servants and two sailors went on the water for a sail; but the boat was upset, and all were drowned. Neither servants nor sailors have since been seen. It was one of those parts where the sea does not give up its dead.
But there is a time coming when the sea will give up its dead. Listen now: “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and Hades delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Rev. 20:11-1411And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (Revelation 20:11‑14)). But that sea into which God casts all the sins of the believer never gives up its dead. “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Heb. 10:1717And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17)). “The Lord hath laid on Him (Christ) the iniquities of us all” (Isa. 53:66All 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. (Isaiah 53:6)). He “bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)). “He was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God” (Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)). “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:11There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)).
At that preaching I observed a young woman, a stranger to me, listening with very great attention. On the next evening she was at the prayer meeting, and on the next Thursday at the Scripture reading; on the next Sunday again at the preaching, and on Monday at the prayer meeting. After this, she being a stranger, I spoke to her, asking if she knew any one present.
“I am Mrs. G — ‘s sister,” she replied.
Having heard of her as being an unconverted person, I was surprised at her being at the prayer and reading meetings; so I asked, “Do you know the Lord?”
“Yes,” she replied, “I do know the Lord.”
“And how long have you known Him?” I inquired.
Her answer was, “Last Sunday night week, in this hall, I found that God had cast all my sins into the depths of the sea.”
“Into that sea,” I remarked, “that never gives up its dead.”
“Yes,” she added, “and never to come up against me.”
“You believe that?”
“I do.”
“Then that was a burial at sea — and you were there.”
“I was.”
Her sister was dying of consumption. She lived just long enough to hear the good news of this “burial at sea.”
T. A.