The last one in line in a country railway office, I was waiting to buy my ticket. To help pass the time I glanced around the bare little room, and was amused to observe a coin nailed to the counter. The young man selling the tickets also attracted my attention. He seemed a bright youth, with a business-like air about him. With his hand raised to the ticket case, and fingers ready to pounce upon the right one, he said, "Which class, sir?"
Being the last one waiting, I thought I would like to have a few words with our young friend about the coin, so I said to him as I was picking up my change, "What is this you have nailed to the counter?"
"A half dollar, sir."
"But why have you nailed it to the counter?" "Because it is a bad one."
"So you were determined it should go no further. But now, tell me, does it remind you of anything very serious?"
"I don't know," he said, looking straight at me, and paying great attention.
"Well, I'll tell you what it has brought to my mind: that will be the end of all false professors of religion. They will at last be nailed down under the judgment of God, and they will never be able to get away from it. Look at that half dollar. A nail driven through it—fastened to one spot—exposed to public condemnation. Everyone sees that it is a detected hypocrite, and is exhibited there as a warning to others.
"Now, mark! Such will be the end of all who make a profession of religion, but who have not Christ in their hearts. Like this half dollar, they may deceive many for a time; but they cannot deceive God, can they? No; that half dollar may have passed through a good many hands before it was detected, but at last it fell into the hands of a judge who knew it was not real. He has to condemn it, and not let it go further.
"Now, remember this: God will try every professor of religion at His judgment seat; and every one that is counterfeit will then be detected, condemned, and cast away forever. Even so, every time you throw down a ticket and look at this bad half dollar, may you be reminded of the awful end of those who are not right in heart with God."
This last sentence was evidently more than our young friend could comfortably bear, for he immediately exclaimed, "I'll have it taken up." After a few words of warning as to the certainty of coming judgment, we parted.
Finding we had to wait a little longer for the train, a friend who was with me and who had listened to the conversation returned to the office. Without saying anything to the clerk, he merely gave him a look, pointing to the half dollar. The young man again said in a very determined tone: "I'll have it taken up."
How like, thought I, to the natural heart. "I'll have it taken up." It had been nailed there for the purpose of warning others against passing bad money. But as soon as it was made a witness and a warning to his own conscience before God, he immediately declared that he would have it removed! Rather than be reminded of the end of those who have not Christ as their righteousness, he would silence the testimony by removing the witness.
Perhaps all who read this know that no man can stand approved before God in his own righteousness. The best we can do, say, or think must be totally rejected as utterly unfit for God, and for the place of His holiness. Fair appearances there may be, but God looks on the heart. He has but one standard-Christ. If that dear name be found engraven there, it will pass as the current coin of the realm of heaven. But where Christ is not the stamp of the heart, all is worthless to God. If there be no Christ in the heart, there can be no pardon, no peace, no salvation, no eternal life.
Friend, whether you have made a profession of salvation, or not, at once, with your whole heart, turn to Jesus in the full assurance of His pardoning love. He is waiting, ready to receive you. Doubt Him not, believe Him, trust Him. He is able, He is willing, to save the chief of sinners. As a lost sinner, take refuge in Him, who was nailed to the cross for sinners.
"Hell is deep and everlasting,
Turn, poor sinner, turn and flee;
Deeper down than Tire and Sidon,
Shall the false professor be."