(Continued.)
WHAT God really desires is that man should get such a sense of the badness of his own heart that he will thoroughly distrust himself; and get such proof of the loving kindness of God’s heart that his confidence will be won by it. God’s word speaks plainly of both. “Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust” (Psa. 40:44Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. (Psalm 40:4)). “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool” (Prov. 28:2626He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. (Proverbs 28:26)). Take a simple figure. A man of abundant means, we will suppose, has come to reside on the outskirts of a certain town. A market gardener near the same town is, for personal reasons, very desirous of corning into favor with him. To affect this, he sends him a present of early dessert apples, very choice, from one of his best trees.
But on gathering some of the same for his own use, a day later, he is astonished to find that every apple is decayed at the core! On closer examination he detects the cause to be the inroads of a small, destructive insect. How disappointed and mortified he feels! And with a groan he cries, “This is not the kind of thing to win a gentleman’s favor! What will he think of me after this?”
But in the midst of his vexation he gets another surprise ― a surprise of a very different kind. It comes in a letter from the merchant himself. After thanking the giver for his gift, he expresses deep sympathy with him, in that which has come to his notice since receiving the present. Having had long experience in fruit growing himself, he tells the gardener that, before the year is out, he greatly fears he will have sad disappointment in his fruit crop; but that should it prove to be so, he will find pleasure in providing full compensation for his loss. What a welcome surprise for him! Such unexpected favor quite overcomes him. He knows well enough that it is not through the excellence of his own gift that the favor is shown. He owes it entirely to the compassionate kindness of this newly-found friend.
Now where the gardener was before receiving this welcome letter, Susie was before receiving the heaven-sent tidings. The gardener was sorely troubled when he came to see the actual condition of what he had given the merchant; and, in a spiritual sense, it was the same both with little S. B. and her father. But the latter was the first to get his heart rightly directed, and to come into happy liberty, both as to himself and his sins.
At this time Susie was seven years of age, and still troubled about herself. Hearing what her father had to say about his newly-found blessing only deepened her own heart-longings. It was decided, therefore, that she should accompany him to the next meeting. But there was a distance to walk, and when the day came, rain was falling. So after giving thanks for the evening meal, she quietly asked God, as she sat, to make it fine for them: and though He did not give her “the request of her lips”, He did grant her “the desire of her heart”; for what she wanted He sent to the house. No sooner was their meal over than a knock was heard at the door; and on opening it, they found the preacher standing there. He had not been long inside before he made inquiry of Susie as to her soul’s welfare. Her reply was, “I am trying to get to heaven, sir”. Whereon he sought to show her that many were trying to do the same thing; but it must be remembered that nothing sinful can enter heaven, so that unless they could entirely blot out their sinful past and live a blameless life for the future, all their “trying to get to heaven” would be utterly useless. But it was God’s great desire to have man with Himself eternally; and He alone could devise the way of accomplishing it. This He did. His beloved Son was sent here; and plainly He declared it. “I am the way”, He said. “No man cometh to the Father but by Me” (John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)).
It was the delight of Jesus thus to carry out His Father’s will, by doing a work that would make man fit for God’s holy presence. He would make Himself answerable for man’s sin, and endure sin’s righteous penalty to the uttermost; so that neither a charge against the repentant offender, nor a spot upon him would be left. All this was perfectly accomplished by His precious death. The cup of condemnation for all such was drained to the uttermost.
The preacher then opened his Bible and showed the anxious little seeker the three words uttered by Jesus on the Cross, just before He bowed His head in death ― “IT IS FINISHED” (John 19:3030When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30)). To draw her particular attention to this great fact, he took up her tea-cup, and after pouring what was left in it into the saucer, he quietly said, “How much is now left in the cup?” To make sure, she carefully looked into it, and then said, “Not one drop!” Exactly. And in the cup which Jesus had undertaken to drink for us, not one drop remained when He said. “It is finished”.
“Death and the curse were in our cup―
O Christ ‘twas full for Thee.”
The light of the gospel of peace, by the Spirit’s power, dawned upon her wondering soul at last. She could now see that all her struggling for self-satisfaction was a mistake. Through the finished work of Christ her conscience was satisfied, her load was lifted, her heart was happy; and that night found her upon her knees, gratefully thanking the Lord for what His love had done, by dying in her stead and finishing the great work which only He could do. Her words may have been few, but with true sincerity she could, no doubt, have said: ―
Satisfied with God’s glad tidings, I am blest;
In the finished work of Jesus I can rest;
May His precious Name be honored and confessed.
And why should not you, dear reader, be able to say the same? But do not forget that your day of opportunity may end suddenly, and at any moment.
GEO. C.