A FEW weeks ago, whilst passing through the village of Hanwell, my attention was arrested by a thick bunch of wheat displayed in the window of a baker's shop. I had often seen bunches of wheat thus displayed, but never one like this. There were sixty-three stalks, all from one root, and a label declared that the yield of 3683 grains from the sixty-three ears was the production of one grain of wheat.
Passing recently by the shop with a Christian friend, I called his attention to the specimen, remarking that I could scarcely believe that a single grain was the cause of the tuft before us. My remark was overheard by the baker, who, unobserved by us, was standing at the door of his shop. He kindly came round the corner, where we were looking at the wheat as it stood in a side window, and began to assure us of the fact of the wonderful tuft being the produce of a single grain,.
After some further conversation, suddenly looking at him, I said, “Well, now I come to think of it, I know of a production far more wonderfully prolific from a single grain." Upon hearing this our baker friend seemed rather crestfallen, evidently not liking the idea of a rival curiosity. My friend corroborated my statement, whereupon the man, quite interested, asked where it could be seen.
“Twelfth chapter of John's gospel, 24th verse,” said my friend, and I quoted the passage at length, —" Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." And then we pointed him to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour, showing how that, unless He had given up His life, He would have had to go back to the glory without saving a single soul; but that, having died to satisfy and glorify God about the immense question of sin, that shut out man from His presence, God raised Him from amongst the dead by His right hand, a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins; and now—fruit of the travail of His soul— there are associated with Him, yea, united to Him by God the Holy Ghost, countless multitudes of men, women, and children —millions upon millions— who, their sins washed away in His precious, precious blood, are destined to be conformed, by the same mighty power that raised up the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, to His own blessed image; all the result, not of their own works, prayers, tears, Bible-reading, or other merit whatever mark that but of His work (Eph. 2:1010For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)), His merit (Eph. 1:3-63Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:3‑6)), His prayers (John 17:2424Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:24)); in short, of His becoming the blessed corn of whet, going on to the cross, and into the dust of death, in perfect obedience to the will of God, and for the glory of God. Now, raised from amongst the dead to highest glory, there He sits to-day, a Man, a real living Man, in the glory of God, the sure pledge that every soul who trusts Him shall be there, with, and like Him (John 14:1919Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. (John 14:19); Col. 3:3, 43For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:3‑4); 1 John 3:1, 21Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:1‑2)).
Well, the only response we could get from this poor man was, that we, because we averred that we were saved through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, according to the Word of God, were setting up ourselves as better than others, like the wretched Pharisee of Luke 18; and, further, that one of the most learned men of this day—("educated at Oxford," he took care to explain)— had lately stated, in the course of a lecture, that the laws contained in Moses' writings were such that no court of justice in the present day would receive or notice them.
This was surely a mere "shift," just like the poor sinner at Samaria's well, who, when her conscience was reached, turned from the subject under the Lord's consideration to something else. We, however, answered the man (Prov. 26:55Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit. (Proverbs 26:5)), asking him if he believed that Christ was the Son of God, and that the New Testament was part of the Word of God. On receiving his answer in the affirmative, we pointed him to John 5, where the Son of God vouches for the Divine inspiration and authority of Moses' writings; and with respect to the learned lecturer mentioned above, we called attention to 1 Cor. 2:1414But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Now, dear reader, what is this precious corn of wheat to you? What think ye of Christ? Do you know that YOUR ETERNITY of weal or woe hangs upon the answer you are able to make in the presence of God?
On parting with our baker friend, we pointed out that, whenever he looked upon his wonderful specimen, he would remember that the Christ of God died in order that sinners might be saved and brought to God. You, dear reader, have not what that man has to call these things to mind; but oh! I say, you have the twelfth chapter of John, and if you turn away from THE Saviour, refusing to receive His loving offers of pardon and peace, eternal life and glory, you need only cast your eyes down the chapter, and you may gather some idea of what awaits, inevitably awaits, you. “If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47, 4847And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. (John 12:47‑48)). C. C. W.
To ensure your eternal damnation, my unsaved friend, you need do no heinous sin. You have only to go quietly on as you are, neglecting salvation, and your place in hell is sure. W. T. P. W.