"Going the Wrong Way."

SOME little time, ago there was laboring in the Lord’s work at Bristol an earnest servant of God, an evangelist who could blow the gospel trumpet well. God gave a hearing ear, and that more might get in to hear the Word of God, the preaching was transferred from the little meeting-room at O― Street to the Hall of the Asylum for the Blind, a much larger place.
God was pleased to work, and to let His work appear unto His servants. Blessed be His name! God wrought in that hall His work of grace, His work of divine power; and it abides― “What he does, it shall be forever.”
Two instances of His work were of a deeply interesting character, one being a very religious man; the other, a very godless man. The former, Mr. G―, had long been trying to save himself by his own works. After his conversion he said, “If any man ever tried hard to save himself by his own works, it was I.” He attended an exceedingly high church, which very edifice had the repute of being the finest parish church in England. This, he thought, might make something toward his entrance into heaven. He zealously and sincerely attended all the numerous services at this church; constantly sought and submitted to most of the instructions of the clergy, whose ritualistic observances were so high and Romanist as even to include the confessional.
Some little invitations had been printed to make known the special preaching’s at the hall, and Mr. G―’s housekeeper (who loved to get souls in to hear the gospel), taking some to distribute, made so bold as to give one to her master, who, on reading it, said, “Well, Alice, I plainly see you have got what I have not, and what I wish I had.” She was encouraged, and said further, “But, sir, you are going the wrong way to get it.” He thought this over, and came the first Lord’s Day evening to the hall to hear.
The preacher did not know who was there, but the Spirit of God did, and led him to preach from three words, “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)). Those three blessed words did all the work, and led him to look away from self TO CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, and to put all his trust in His finished work upon the cross for poor lost sinners such as he. His soul was there and then filled with light, peace, and rest. He ceased from his own works, and entered into, and received the rest that Christ gives to all that look to and come to Him; and joy and peace have been his ever since.
The other instance of God’s work before referred to, that of Charles H―, was the very antipodes of Mr. G―. Utterly godless, he cared for none of these things. Christ, the church, the gospel, his soul, a hereafter, were no more to him than to the large handsome dog that was always accompanying him. At this time, if any had spoken with him about his soul, or asked to read to him a little from the Bible, he would have replied, “There close your mouth. I never could understand the Book, and I never shall, so save your breath.” But God had His gracious eye upon C. H―, and gave several of His people to care for his soul. One was an old Christian that lodged with him, and died under his roof. His death took some effect upon C. H―. He had observed the old Christian’s life, and said, “Well, if there is a hereafter, I believe old Torn is gone to the happy place.”
He attended his funeral as a mourner, and was particularly observed to listen to what was spoken at the grave-side. He left off bad, vile language, which he had always been addicted to, but could not be prevailed upon to come and hear the gospel until the dear servant of God came to preach at the aforementioned hall, when renewed effort, with prayer to God, was again made, and he was made willing in the day of God’s power.
With C. H― it was not to receive the Word at the first hearing; it was a more gradual thing. He came night after night, his ear was gained, and his heart gradually opened to attend unto the things which were spoken of the preacher. While listening to the Word there came a tear to the eye and a lump in the throat-the stony heart was going and the heart of flesh coming. Bless God! The wind bloweth where it listeth, the blessed effects are seen; so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
The result of these meetings at the hall was that one night C. H― went into his room in secret and prayed― “O Lord Jesus, I have heard it all, what a friend You are of sinners, and what You have done for them upon the cross; but someway I am not quite comfortable like; I feel as yet I do not know You, as if I have not had to do with You. O Lord, I come now, come to be forgiven, come to be cleansed, for You have said, ‘Him that cometh unto me, I will in nowise cast out.” The Lord gave him to know there and then that he was received, and there he also received Christ Jesus the Lord, and he rose up, joy and peace filling his soul.
Thus the Lord wrought in that hall. The place was true to its name, it proved an asylum for the blind to both these; their eyes were opened there, and they were turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Christ Jesus (Acts 26:1818To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:18)).
Both these interesting cases of conversion now know each other, both are in the “great sheet” of heavenly grace (Acts 10:11-1611And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: 12Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 13And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. 14But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. 15And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 16This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. (Acts 10:11‑16)), let down from heaven and to be received up again into heaven; its origin heaven, and its destiny heaven; all within those four knit-up corners perfectly secure; all within are those whom God hath cleansed. Blessed forever be His Name!
Dear reader, are you in Christ? are you in this heavenly grace? or are you still “going the wrong way”? If so, may the reading of this little paper lead you, like these, to come to Christ, and you too will find grace and salvation and all you need in Him through time and to eternal days.
W. F.