IN the days of the great Irish revival a wonderful work of God began among the inhabitants of a certain parish, and the Rector opened the schoolroom for special meetings, and night after night crowds of earnest seekers for salvation gathered to hear words whereby they might be saved.
One evening the Rector observed the Squire standing at the bottom of the room, and at first hesitated to go near him. But thinking it was his duty to speak to him he moved towards him. But as soon as he got near to him the Squire began to abuse him in the most shameful manner, telling him he was a disgrace to the Church, and after he had given vent to his anger, departed, leaving the Rector feeling rather cast down.
On the following evening a footman appeared at the Rectory, having been sent by the Squire with a request that he would call and see him at his earliest convenience. At first he hesitated about complying, but afterward decided he would go and see what the Squire wanted. When he got there he was shown into the drawing-room, at the end of which stood the Squire looking worn and haggard, and as he approached him he cried out, “Oh, Mr. ―, you see before you a lost soul!”
After the abuse of the previous night, this was hardly what the Rector expected, but he thanked God for that unmistakable evidence of a work begun in the soul of that gentleman. It was his great joy to unfold to him the way of salvation, and it was not long before the Squire was found rejoicing in the marvelous grace of God, which had met him in his opposition and sins, and led him into the way of righteousness and peace.
Satan’s great effort is to hide from men the truth of their lost condition, and no man believes he is lost until his eyes have been opened by God.
“But if our Gospel be hid” (wrote Paul to the Corinthians, see 2nd Epistle 4:3 ,4), “it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” Have the reader’s eyes been opened to this deeply solemn fact? Has Satan been trying to persuade you that your case is not so bad as preachers make out? Depend upon it, they have not painted it blacker than it is, and you must either accept God’s testimony to your fallen and lost condition or, listening to the lie of Satan, reject it. In the third chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, both Jew and Gentile are declared to be “under sin.” Thus it is written, “There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (vss. 10-12).
If this statement is true—and who dare question it, since it is of God? —to humbly bow to it is to own that you are lost yes, lost, and need a Saviour. All that a lost sinner needs is to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)). “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)). “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)). E. E. N.