“There is a wide difference between your religion and mine,” said a Christian lady to one in whose spiritual condition she had long been interested. “Indeed,” said he, “how is that?” “Your religion,” she replied, “has only two letters in it, and mine has four.”
It seems that this gentleman was one of that numerous class who are seeking to get to heaven by their doings, by attention to ordinances and ceremonies, by what the apostle, in the ninth of Hebrews, terms, “dead works.” But he did not understand about the “two letters” and the “four.” His friend had often spoken to him, and on the occasion to which our anecdote refers, she had called to take her leave of him for some time, as she was about to go from home.
“What do you mean,” said he, “by two letters and four?” “Why your religion,” said the lady, “is d-o, DO; whereas mine is d-o-n-e, DONE.” This was all that passed. The lady took her leave; but her words remained and did their work in the soul of her friend— a revolutionary work verily. The entire current of his thoughts was changed. Do is one thing; done is quite another. The former is legalism; the latter is Christianity. It was a novel and very original mode of putting the gospel; but it was just the mode for a legalist, and the Spirit of God used it in the conversion of this gentleman. When next he met his friend, he said to her, “Well, I can now say, with you, that my religion is d-o-n-e, DONE.” He had learned to fling aside his deadly doings, and rest in the finished work of Christ. He was led to see that it was no longer a question of what he could do for God, but of what God had done for him.
This settled everything. The four golden letters shone under the gaze of his emancipated soul, “d-o-n-e.” Precious letters! Precious word! Who can tell the relief to a burdened heart when it discovers that all is done! What joy to know that what I have been toiling for, it may be many a long year, was all done over eighteen hundred years ago, on the cross! Christ has done all. He has put away sin — magnified the law and made it honorable — satisfied the claims of divine justice — vanquished Satan — taken the sting from death and the victory from the grave — glorified God in the very scene in which He had been dishonored — brought in everlasting righteousness. All this is wrapped up in these four golden letters, “d-o-n-e.”
Oh! who would net give up the two for the four? Who would not exchange “d-o,” for “d-o-n-e?”
Reader, what say you to this? What of your religion? Does it consist of two letters or four? Is it still “d-o,” with you? Or have you found your happy portion and rest in “d-o-n-e? “Do think of it, dear friend — think deeply — think seriously, and may God’s Spirit lead you, this moment, to cease from your own “d-o” and to rest in Christ’s eternal “d-ο-n-e!”
Ques. “What must I DO to be saved?”
Ans.
“Nothing either great or small,
Nothing, sinner, no;
Jesus did it, did it all,
Long, long ago.
“When He, from His lofty throne,
Stooped to do and die,
Everything was fully done,
Hearken to His cry—
“It Is finished!” Yes, indeed,
Finished every jot.
Sinner, this is all you need;
Tell me, is it not?
“Oh! thou trembling, anxious one,
Wherefore toil you so?
All was finished, all was done,
Long, long ago.
“Till to Jesus’ work you cling
By a simple faith,
‘Doing’ is a deadly thing—
‘Doing’ ends in death.
“Cast thy deadly doings down,
Down at Jesu’s feet;
Stand in Him — in Him alone,
Gloriously complete.”