Echoes of Grace: 1933
Table of Contents
If Then, Why Not Now?
Sir James Young Simpson, M.D., who introduced the use of chloroform in surgical operations, became well-known in Christian work, as well as in the world of surgery and medicine.
The way the truth came to him is interesting.
His outward life had been markedly consistent and religious. He knew and observed the external forms of Christianity, but its vital power was unknown to him.
Then it was that a patient of his, a lady who was an earnest and devoted Christian, began to seek his conversion. She wrote to him again and again, and in one of her letters, after kind references to his household and to himself, she asked,
"What is to fill this heart to all eternity? When benevolence shall have run its course, when there shall be no sick to heal, no disease to cure; when all I have been engaged about comes to a dead stop, what is to fill this heart, and thought, and these powers of mind? Only the God-Man! If then, why not now?"
Through these letters he was led to Christ and soon began to engage in definite Christian service.
Giving a public address to medical students, he said that he was one of the oldest sinners and one of the youngest believers in the room. He urged them all to open their hearts to receive the Savior there and then, just as they were.
"You will," he said, "find in Christ a Savior, a Companion, a Counselor, a Friend who loves you with a love greater than the human heart can conceive."
On another occasion, when asked what was the greatest discovery he had made, he replied,
"That I was a sinner, and that the Lord Jesus Christ is my Savior:"
Have you made this discovery of yourself? You may be admired by a large circle of friends, you may 'be exemplary in your conduct, you may be esteemed for religious observances. But though all this and much more may be true of you, you still may be without Christ. You must be born again. You must be converted, or you can never see God's kingdom or dwell in God's presence.
Do you intend to be saved at the end? "If then, why not now?" Christ alone can meet the claims of your conscience or satisfy the longings of your heart. But He can do both and He can do' them NOW.
You Need Christ
A soldier gave me the following history of his conversion,
"My comrade and I were nearly the worst men in the regiment. He became converted, and I tried by every means to get him back to his old ways, but he was hard and fast in his faith, which distressed me. I had lost my chance.
"I was well read in the Scriptures, had received a good education, and had been brought up in a good position in society, but it profited me nothing. I enlisted, and went on from bad to worse.
"One day a missionary came into the barrack-room. He seemed a nice man, and I thought, 'Well, I will soon start you.' I had always done so before, and had no doubt but that I should do so now. He listened to me, and when I had done, said,
" 'My friend, you need Christ!' He fixed his eye upon me and said again, You need Christ.'
"Instantly I looked for the 'pontoons' for a way of escape, and soon went and lay upon my bed, sick and weary at heart. But he followed me there, saying,
" 'Friend, you need Christ, you need Christ, which distressed me much. He would not leave me till he had extracted a promise from me to go to a preaching he was to hold that night. I promised, and went, in spite of every effort of Satan and man to prevent; and God sent me home saved.
"It was through His own words, 'God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' John 3:16.
" 'Verily verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.' John 5:24. God saved me and keeps me. I said when I came to Christ,
" 'Blessed Lord, Thou knowest what I am! If Thou savest, Thou must keep me; and so He has in the past, and I trust Him to keep me in the future. Every morning I just tell Him that He knows what I am, and that I cannot keep myself; and every night I just thank Him that He has kept me. I have nothing to boast in but Himself."
Perhaps the reader's case finds no parallel in that of this poor soldier, inasmuch as you are not openly profane or irreligious; but if you have not Christ, you are as far from happiness and heaven as he was before he found Him.
Are you rich in this world? Alas, how poor, if you have not Christ! Are you learned? In Him only are found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Are you toiling to add house to house and field to field? "Thou fool" (it may be), "this night thy soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?"
Are you seeking to drown the thought of a judgment to come in the giddy maze of pleasure, or in the wearisome round of fashionable frivolity? You cannot do it. Beneath a gay exterior you carry a burdened heart! You are an immortal being! You have cravings that none but Christ can satisfy! I say to you, my unsaved reader, You need Christ! You are beguiled by Satan into believing a lie. Come to Him who is the Truth. You are wandering far from God. Come to Christ; He is "the way" to God. You are dead in trespasses and sins. Come to Him, and He will give you life, for He is "the Way, and the Truth, and the Life."
"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment!" Heb. 9:27.
Are you prepared to face these stern realities? Not if your soul is unsaved, your sins unforgiven. In Christ you may have salvation and pardon, but without Him you must perish everlastingly,
"There is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12. You need Christ.
Reader, accept this blessed gift of God, His only begotten Son! Flee to this haven of rest; for He said,
"Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28.
Lay hold on this eternal life, anchor your tempest-tossed soul on this Rock of Ages,
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.
"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom. 10:9.
I Am Saved
It was in the stable that a young farmer came to Christ. For long he had been in anxiety of soul, as he knew that he was not right with God.
"Not right with God." And yet he was religious. In his attendance at church he was most regular, and not only on the Sunday, but to the week-night prayer meeting. Never was he absent.
"Not right with God." For he knew that he was a sinner.
It was a preacher, who had himself been recently converted, whose ministry finally led to his conversion. The young man told of the way in which he himself, had received the blessing. No sermon was preached by him that Sunday evening, but a simple account was given of a journey from death to life and from the power of Satan unto God.
Stirred to the depths of his being, the young man returned to his home alarmed at his condition. He realized as never before, his unfitness to meet God. No one was near to tell him of the simplicity of God's way of salvation and to say,
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." The next morning there came to his mind the remembrance of a farmer in the neighborhood who was converted. He thought that if he could be blessed, there was surely salvation for him.
Leaving the work he was engaged in, he went into the next stall and falling on his knees on the straw, he repeated the well-known verse
"Just as I am without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come."
This was his prayer, for he felt he could not utter anything else. And with these words on his lips, he came just as he was to Christ.
Then, "Believe that I have received you," seemed to be spoken to him, as by the Lord Himself.
At once, the light of life filled his soul and he said, "I am saved."
Heaven began on earth for him. He at once felt he could no longer go on with the things of the world which had attracted him hitherto and so he remained away from a dance which was to be held that Monday evening. His soul was filled with divine merriment and he needed no other. Eternal joys outshone the temporal pleasures of sin. The Word of God became his constant study and his whole course being changed, the neighbors thought he was bereft of reason.
How strange it is, that when a man gets right with God and for the first time is truly in his right mind, that then, those around, esteem him "peculiar." But man's thoughts are not as God's. And a man who is not born again cannot perceive the kingdom of God.
Then service for Christ became his joy. First as a Sunday School teacher, he sought to win others for Christ. Finally, after a missionary meeting, at which all he had in the way of cash was given to the work, he felt that God wanted him himself and he became a missionary.
Today he lives and in the mission field, tells the story of redeeming love among those who have hitherto, sat in the gross darkness and corruption of paganism.
His Savior is willing to be yours today.
We cannot come to Christ a day too soon, but we may come a day too late.
No Christians in Hell
"Can you tell me where I can go to get out of the way of these Christians?" Such was the question asked one day by a godless commercial traveler. He was traveling by train and found in the car with him some believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. They were speaking and singing of their Savior, and it was more than our friend could stand. Had they been speaking about politics or the weather, or had they been singing worldly songs, he might have reconciled himself to their company, and joined in with them. But they spoke of a Savior whom he did not know. They sang of His precious blood, whose cleansing power he had not proved, and it was a distasteful subject to him.
By and by the train stopped at a station and he got out, taking his baggage with him, and took his seat in another coach. The train started, and he began to feel more at home. Before very long, however, the sound of singing fell on his ears. He looked up from his newspaper and listened:
"How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear." Such were the words that he heard.
"These troublesome Christians again," he thought; "Why can't they leave a man in peace?" But the singing and conversation continued, and he was compelled to listen to what was to him the most distasteful of all subjects.
Soon the train came to the standstill once more, and he got out, thinking he was now at the end of his annoyance. He had now to go by steamboat for a short distance, so he went on board, hoping that it would be more cheerful there than in the train. But hark! What are those young men talking about? Christ was their theme. He rose up in despair, and left the saloon. The first man he met on deck was the engineer.
"Is there no place where I can go to get out of the way of these Christians?" he asked.
"Yes, in hell," replied the engineer. "You won't find any Christians there."
The engineer was a worldly man, and spoke without thinking of the seriousness of what he said. But these words, uttered in jest, continued to ring in our friend's ears. It was an arrow directed by the Spirit of God, and He used it to awaken and convert this godless man.
My unsaved reader, is not this your position? You are, perhaps, fond of the dance and the play, and can take part in all that this world calls amusement, but how is it that you cannot endure hearing about God or His Son Jesus Christ? The truth is, you are not at home in God's company, and you think it is out of place when any one speaks to you about Him, or about eternity. You want to be left in peace with an undisturbed conscience. But the man who warns me of my danger is my true friend; and these lines are written to warn you of your danger. Love can do no less. What would you say to us in the other world if, having known the danger you were in, we had said nothing to you?
You must stand before God and you are fast approaching that solemn hour. Your bark floats down the stream of time, and before you lies that vast shoreless sea of eternity. Pause and think for a moment before it is too late. Today the voice of a Savior calls you:
"Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?" Ezek. 33:11,
"Look unto Me, and be ye saved." Isa. 45:22.
What Is Your Choice?
A great multitude was called upon to make their choice,
"Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas or Jesus which is called Christ?" Matthew 27:17-24.
It was Pilate's custom to release a prisoner yearly at their feast. He now presents to them two to choose from; which was it to be? Barabbas, or Christ? The first was a robber and a murderer; the second, the spotless Son of God.
They themselves had borne record that "never man spake like this man," but O, the hatred of the human heart. They demanded Barabbas. Awful decision! They chose a man they feared and dreaded rather than Jesus, the One who had come to save them.
But what is your choice? Is it nothing to you that Christ suffered and died upon that cruel cross, that your sins might be forgiven if you but believe on Him? Think of the love of God in giving His only Son to suffer in your stead.
"God commendeth His love to us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.
By nature man's heart is the same today as was that of the Jews of old. It may be veneered by civilization, but it is not changed, and men still raise the cry, "Crucify Him," by their rejection of Him.
Will you not accept Christ as your Savior now?
"Now is the day of salvation," tomorrow it may be too late-the door may be shut. May God give you to see the immense issues at stake, for on your choice depends your everlasting destiny.
If you believe on the Lord Jesus, then everlasting life will be yours; but if you reject or neglect Him, then you must be eternally banished from His presence with the devil and his angels.
O, we would again urge you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and be saved; then you will be able to sing—
"My heart is fixed, eternal God,
Fixed on Thee;
And my immortal choice is made,
Christ for me."
"Jesus"
I've tried in vain a thousand ways
My fears to quell, my hopes to raise;
But what I need, the Bible says,
Is ever, only, JESUS.
My soul is night, my heart is steel—
I cannot see, I cannot feel:
For light, for life, I must appeal
In simple faith to JESUS.
He died, He lives, He reigns, He pleads;
There's love in all His words and deeds;
There's all a guilty sinner needs
For evermore in JESUS.
Though some should sneer, and some should blame,
I'll go with all my guilt and shame,
I'll go to HIM because His name,
Above all names, is JESUS.
What Think Ye of Christ?
Whose Son Is He?
Matthew 22:42.
"What Shall I Do With Jesus?"
This question was asked by Pilate, and comes to you, reader, with all its force and reality.
"Pilate said unto them: What shall I do with Jesus, which is called Christ?' "
God will sooner or later bring every individual, as well as nation, to a strict account of their treatment of His Son. "What will you do then with Jesus?"
"But as many as received Him, (Christ) to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name." John 1:12.
The True Testimony
A man went to a meeting where a number of persons took part in the service. The speakers were not clear as to God's way of salvation. Some said men and women were to give up this, and that, in order to be saved. Others declared that it was necessary to pray, work, resolve, etc., etc., ere the pardoning mercy of God could be procured.
This man felt that it was his duty to give his testimony to the saving power of the gospel. His testimony was short, sharp, simple, suggestive, and scriptural.
"I hear you talking about doing to be saved," said he. That is not the way God saved me; God did all the doing, and I did all the taking."
Scripture distinctly declares that salvation cannot be bought by our prayers, doings or religious observances. The work that saves was accomplished by the Lord Jesus on Calvary's Cross. Yet, alas! multitudes of men and women in this highly-favored land are on the "doing" line.
Think of the dying words of the Savior of sinners, uttered by Him on the Cross—
"It is finished." John 19:30.
If He has finished the glorious work of atonement, it cannot be added to, and it is worse than folly to attempt it. Because of what He has done and suffered, every barrier has been removed, and God can, in perfect consistency with His holiness and righteousness, pardon and justify ungodly sinners who believe on Christ. Salvation is "not of works lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:8, 9 Our doings are valueless as a ground of confidence. Renounce all efforts of your own to procure God's "unspeakable gift." The moment you truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be able to say with the man,
"God did all the doing, and I did all the taking."
Will you accept eternal life as a free gift as you read these lines?
"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23.
God's Gift
A person on whom an emperor was about to bestow a valuable present, declined the same upon the ground that it was too costly a gift for his acceptance.
"But not too costly for an emperor to give," was the reply.
None of us are really worth the gifts of God—especially of the one "Unspeakable Gift." Fortunately, they are not to be reckoned by our merit, but rather by His ability. And it pleases God to accept our full appreciation as their full equivalent.
If it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, why not do it with all the heart?
The devil has never yet been able to make any man poor while he was trusting in God.
"He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things." Rom. 8:32.
'There is a WAY Which Seemeth Right unto a Man, but the End Thereof are the WAYS of DEATH
Proverbs 14:12.
Jesus said, "I Am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE: No Man Cometh unto the Father but by ME." John 14:6.
February
Steer Clear of Tomorrows
"Steer clear of tomorrows as far as you can." This was a proverb of John Wanamaker, whose name, as you all know, stands for success in the business world.
We all recognize the wisdom of not putting off anything of importance. If this is so, the probability is that it will never be done at all.
If this is true in human affairs, it is true and doubly important in the matter of the soul's salvation. The Scripture, which is the highest authority of all, says,
"Now is the day of salvation."
The Lord Jesus is set forth as a Savior, and all are invited to come to Him and be saved. His cleansing blood avails for the vilest sinner.
When is it that you are urged to come? Ah, that is the vital point. It is today.
"Steer clear of tomorrows. Have nothing to do with them." Tomorrow may be one day too late. Your opportunity may have passed. Life is uncertain; many dangers surround you, and the coming of the Lord draws nigh.
The God of infinite love, who desires to have all to be saved, pleads that you will make this the day of your salvation. Heaven would rejoice at your coming to Christ. As you value your soul, do not delay.
"Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." Heb. 4:7.
If you accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior today, He will take charge of your tomorrows—yes, even forever more, your eternity will be spent in His presence where there is fullness of joy.
"Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." Prov. 27:1.
Thou Shalt Be Saved
During a walk my attention was attracted to a young man who was sitting reading the Word of God. I paused and said,
"You are reading the best of books."
"Yes," he responded, "and I prove its value more each time I read it." And he then quoted the familiar words of the poet—
"Man's books with heaps of chaff are stored,
God's Book doth golden grain afford;
Then blow away the chaff,
And spend thy time
In gathering up the golden grain."
"But why," said I, "do you value that Book?"
"O," he replied, "because it was from its pages I first learned how to be saved."
"But are you saved?" I asked.
"Yes," said he; "and if you will sit down I will tell you how it happened. It was two or three years ago; I had been going on very carelessly, and was indifferent about salvation. My father and mother were not Christians, and did not seem to trouble about me. But I began to grow weary of the pleasures of sin, and of the pursuit of that which had not hitherto satisfied me. Satan, however, seemed to say, 'You have not tried this,' and `Why don't you go in for that? The best is to come.' So for a time I yielded to him, though I came home night after night feeling disappointed with the continual mockery of worldly pleasure. One evening I determined to stay indoors, and took down, why, I don't know, an old Bible from the shelf, and idly turned over its pages. My eye was suddenly attracted by a verse which had been heavily penciled round by a former reader, and I read,
" 'Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned' Rom. 5:12. I said to myself,
`Can that be true? Yes, I have been guilty of many sins, so there is no doubt I am a sinner, and that surely means that I must die.'
“‘The thought troubled me. The word had gone as an arrow to my heart, and convicted me of my sinful condition. I closed the book and went to bed very unhappy. I did not sleep. I was afraid of dying because of my sins. I hurriedly dressed and went downstairs, and again opened the Bible. I gave a cry as I lighted on the words,
“‘This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners' I Tim. 1:15. I thought,
“‘Then He came into the world to save me, for I am truly a sinner.' Eager for more light, I turned over the pages, and other words attracted my attention:
" 'The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the 'heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.' Rom. 10:8-13.
"It was rather incomprehensible, for I knew little of gospel truth, but the words had taken hold of me, and I was able to rest in them. The light was only dawning, so I hastened to a 'religious' friend, whose company I had previously shunned, and asked him to explain what I had read. Many scriptures he made me read, and O! I shall never forget the eagerness with which I drank them in. But it was when I read,
"'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved' (Acts 16:31), that I said, 'I know I am saved, for God says, "Thou shalt be saved.' " I sat long and listened to the gospel from this dear friend, and heard of the death of my Savior for my sins, of His finished work, of His resurrection and exaltation to glory (Heb. 10:12), and of His coming again. From that day the blessed Book has been my constant companion; and now I do not know what I should do without it."
You may not be able to understand all that you read in God's Word, but it is written for the obedience of faith, and if God declares that believers are saved, and He does, it is very dishonoring to Him to doubt it. Salvation is the very thing you need, for your state by nature is that of this young man. You are a sinner and under the sentence of death. Sin must be judged and punished, but here the sweetness of the children's hymn comes in—
"So out of pity Jesus said,
I'll bear the punishment instead."
It was said of the holy spotless Son of God "Thou shalt call His name 'Jesus,' for He shall save His people from their sins" Matt. 1:21.
To this end He took the sinner's place, and was made sin upon the cross (2 Cor. 5:21), and there the stroke of God's righteous wrath against sin descended upon Him. In that finished work of redemption God is perfectly and eternally satisfied, and glorified too, and on the ground of it can say of the repentant sinner,
"Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom." Job 33:24.
Jesus has died to deliver from hell all who trust in Him, and bring them home to God, and if you take Him at His word, you will be at rest and able to enjoy peace with God.
There is immense comfort to be found in the Lord's own words:
"I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one" John 10:28-30.
The believer is as safe as Christ is, for our place is where He is, beyond death and judgment; and for the believer to lose his salvation, Christ must cease to live, which, of course, is impossible.
"Your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." Col. 3:3.
God Seen in All His Works
Many years ago a man from F— went to visit the owner of a noble castle and to see the vast estate. Soon the guest began to speak profanely of the elderly nobleman's Heavenly Father. On being reproved he answered that he knew nothing about God, for he had never seen Him. The host said nothing more that evening; but the next morning, before setting out to view the castle grounds, he first showed him a very beautiful picture which hung on the wall.
"'Whoever drew that picture knows very well how to use his pencil," said the visitor.
"My son drew that picture."
"Then your son is a very clever man."
They went into the large garden, looking at the many flower beds and the plantations of forest trees.
"Who has the ordering of this garden?" asked the gentleman.
"My son," replied the nobleman. "He knows every plant, I may say, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop on the wall."
"Indeed," said the guest, "I shall think very highly of him soon."
Next they went into the village to see a neat cottage where the worthy son had established a school for young orphans. The children looked so happy and spoke so fondly of their benefactor that the gentleman was much pleased, and when he returned to the castle he said to the nobleman,
"What a happy man you are, to have so good a son!"
"How do you know I have so good a son?"
"Because I have seen his works, and I know that he must be clever and good, if he has done all that you have showed me."
"But you have never seen him."
"No; but I know him very well, because I judge him by his works."
"True," replied the host, "and this is the way I know the character of my Heavenly Father. I know from His works that He is a Being of infinite wisdom, power, and goodness."
Dear reader, the greatest of all God's works was the redemption of lost, guilty man through the gift of His Son. You may own the wisdom, power, and goodness of God as seen in creation and yet not please God and not be saved. God wants you to know His love through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
"In Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." Eph. 2:13.
"In this was manifested the love of God to, ward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him." 1 John 4:9.
You Are on the Wrong Track
A sergeant of police was pacing his beat one evening. A Christian young man, whose heart was burning with love to Christ, while passing along felt constrained to speak to him about his soul's salvation. Crossing the street, and putting his hand on his shoulder, he said, "Sergeant, I have just been thinking about you, and wondering if you know that your sins are forgiven."
"I don't think," was the reply, "that anyone can know that for certain."
"O! but I know that mine are forgiven."
"I think it great presumption in you to go that length. I would not dare to say that, and I am as good as you; I have done all the good I can to my fellow men; I go to a place of worship as often as duty permits; and never that I know of have I injured any one."
The Christian brother, observing that the sergeant was expecting to be saved by his works, replied somewhat to the following effect:
"You are on the wrong track altogether. You are hoping to be saved by your good doings, but that is not God's way of salvation. When He looked down from heaven He saw us all hopelessly bad and corrupt. He knew we could not save, or do anything to help to save ourselves. In love and pity He took our sins and laid them on Jesus, and all who believe on Him are saved."
Like a flash of lightning the truth burst into his soul. He perceived that all his sins had been laid on Christ, and that He had borne them in His own body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24), and that through simply believing on Him he was saved.
"Aye," said he, "is that it? Were my sins laid on Another?" Bidding the young man "Goodnight," he hurried down a street, entered into the first passage, got on his knees, and thanked God for saving him. Years have passed, and he still seeks to tell others of God's gracious dealings with him.
Believe on Christ as the One who "finished" the sin-atoning work, and you will know that you are saved.
How Can I Approach God?
On returning home one Lord's Day afternoon, I met a young woman who was evidently in great mental distress. She said, respectfully, yet with deep emotion,
"Sir, how can I approach God?"
"What makes you so anxious about your soul?" I replied.
"I have been reading the Bible this afternoon, and feel convinced, in a way I never felt before, that I am a vile, guilty sinner," She said.
"I am glad," said I "that the Holy Spirit has thus, by the written Word, shown you something of your real condition as a sinner against God. You may rest assured that God loves sinners, though He hates sin; for " 'God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life' John 3:16.
"Christ died upon the cross that we might live through Him; and, sinful as you feel yourself to be, and are, be assured you can only find access into God's presence through the blood of Jesus, His Son" (Heb. 10:19, 20).
A few days after, I met her again in tears, be' wailing her hell deserving condition. She said,
"I know that Jesus died for sinners; but I feel that I cannot approach God."
In this state she continued some time. It was clear to me that, though she talked about Jesus, yet she did not know who Jesus was. The great mystery of "God manifested in the flesh" had not been revealed to her. I therefore set before her many scriptures which refer to the Person of Christ, especially such as show that, though Jesus was "made of a woman," yet He came from God, was sent 'by the Father, and was God and man in one Person. That Jesus was "the express image" of the invisible God, though He was found in fashion as a man. That because Jesus was man, He was a fit substitute for sinners, and able to bear our sins, and to be made a curse for us; and because Jesus was God, there was infinite virtue in His blood-shedding and death, and infinite power to put away sin for ever thereby, and that God, by raising Jesus from the dead, setting Him at His own right hand, and crowning Him with glory and honor, gave a public testimony that He accepted His finished work on behalf of His people (Heb. 2:9).
"Hence," I added, "the way of approach to God is through Jesus the Son of God, crucified and risen, who is now at the right hand of God; and He gives this most gracious assurance,
“‘He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him' " Heb. 7:25.
I then prayed that she might be enabled, by the Holy Ghost, to come to God by Christ.
Her whole soul seemed to cry out,
"Give me Christ, or else I die;
None but Christ can satisfy!"
When I saw her again all tears were gone, and a peaceful smile had displaced the gloom from her countenance. She said,
"I am happy now, sir!"
"What makes you happy?" said I.
"O, sir, a few mornings ago, after prayer, the words, 'Your sins and iniquities will I remember no more,' brought sweet comfort to my soul; it seemed as if God spoke them to my heart."
"Can you really approach God?" said I.
"O! yes, sir, I approach God now without fear, through the blood of Jesus, His Son, who is at His right hand; and my desire is to live for His glory."
This is the substance of my conversation with this young woman, and it is related because it may meet the need of some others similarly exercised, who, knowing something of God's holiness and their own sinfulness, are saying,
"How can I approach God?"
"By His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Heb. 9:12.
He Died for All
"And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them and rose again." 2 Cor. 5:15.
"He died for all"—
Has died to save;
His life a ransom freely gave;
Bore man's mad hate, e'en hell did brave;
Sank low beneath God's judgment wave;
Peace He has made,
He died to save!
"He died for all"—
He died for me;
Met all my need and misery;
Annulled my old, sad history;
Assured my future destiny;
O, bliss to see
He died for me!
"He died for all"—
Has died for you!
Endured sin's just and awful due;
Brought thus God's love and light to view;
From high now wafts the message true!
Your soul to woo—
He died for you!
"He died for all"—
The great, the small;
But only saves from sin's dark thrall
Those who in faith before Him fall!
The rest His wrath shall soon appall.
Heed, then, the call—
"He died for all!"
Have You a Title to Glory?
I was called to visit a young woman who was ill. For some months a. Christian had been taking tracts to her, and speaking to her of the Savior, but she had not made any profession as to salvation. Going to her bed, I remarked,
"You are feeling very poorly, today, are you not?" There was no answer. Again I spoke, but she did not seem to hear, so I bent down close to her ear, and said,
"The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin."
She opened her eyes and looked up at me and said,
"I believe it. I'm trusting it. I'm waiting to go to Him."
She had a "title to glory." It was the blood of Christ; nothing else: Indeed, there is no other title, though so many are trying to make one by their works, their good lives, even their own faith, but it will not do.
"The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7.
This dear woman had a title by simply trusting the Lord Jesus. It makes one sad to find so few who have "The Blood," as their title; and yet nothing else will do for God.
Reader, if you have not trusted the same blessed Savior as this woman did, if you have not a "title to glory," just close your eyes for five minutes, and think,
"Where shall I spend Eternity?"
This life is so short; but Eternity is forever and ever. Do not try to do something to gain God's favor by yourself. First own yourself absolutely unfit, and that there is no good in you, then take what God offers you today, salvation through the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross (John 19:30).
Trust the blessed Savior, and prove to be true for yourself that "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin," and rejoice that you have a "title to glory," which no one can take away from you.
"Our title to glory
We read in Thy blood."
"He that Believeth on Him (Jesus) is not Condemned: but He that Believeth Not, is Condemned Already, because He hath not Believed on the Name of the Only Begotten Son of God."
John 3:18.
He that that Believeth on the Son Hath Everlasting Life."
John 3:36.