“And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment: for she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” ―Mark 5:25-3425And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. (Mark 5:25‑34).
I WAS traveling in a third-class carriage on the Caledonian Railway some years ago, starting for an evangelistic tour, when, at a small station in the country, a middle-aged woman of grave and serious demeanor, and evidently of the humblest class of society, got into my compartment. Giving her a gospel tract, she read it, and then made some comment which led me to judge she was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, an impression which further conversation quite confirmed, ―in fact she was a child of God, and happy in the sense of His love to her. Presently she volunteered that she was going to her home, but with rather a sad heart, as she had been at the death and burial of one who had been her most intimate friend from the days of childhood. On my inquiring if her friend had died in the Lord, she replied, ― “On, ay. I believe she was a guide woman.”
“What grounds have you for such a statement?” I asked.
“Weel, sir, she was a guid-livin’ woman, for I’ve kent her free I was a bairn; but jist afore she deed I spier’t at her what her hope for eternity really was.”
“And what did she say?”
“She answered me, ‘I canna say that I ha’e that peace an’ that assurance I’ve heerd some folk tell o’, but I can truly say I’m like you puir woman in the Gospels wi’ the issue o’ bluid, who, when she heerd o’ Jesus, cam’ an’ touched the hem o’ His garmint; and the’ I canna say I feel as I wad like tae, an’ my faith is weak, I’m jist clingin’ tae Him.’”
“That was good,” said I;” and “what comfort did you seek to give her?”
“Weel, weel, sir, I jist said, Haud on, dearie, He’ll no’ shake ye aff!’”
The train stopped; my friend got out. I have never seen her since, and I never expect to again till I see her in glory, but her last words have remained firmly engraved on my memory; and though many thousands have doubtless heard this simple narrative in the, preaching-rooms where I may have related it, I put it on paper and send it forth in an enduring form, with the hope and prayer that it may cheer some timid, doubting, yet withal believing soul.
“Haud on, dearie, He’ll no’ shake ye aff!” It was a fine word for a dying soul, that clung to the Saviour, to hear. It is in such moments that Satan gathers up all his powers, arrays all his hosts, marshals all his forces, and shoots all his poisoned arrows to distress and distract the physically enfeebled one. What comfort in such a condition must it have been to this dying one, to hear such a sweet testimony to the blessed Lord as this, “He’ll no’ shake ye aff!”
Let no one suppose that in narrating this incident I am pleading for an uncertain state of soul. Quite the contrary. If my reader has been hitherto in uncertainty as to his or her relationship to God, my deep desire is that the apprehension of what God’s grace really is may forever dispel all the gloomy clouds which have hindered the enjoyment of the sunshine of His favor. Do not tell me about yourself, and what you are, or are not; what you have done, or have not done. Peace, and the assurance of salvation, are not found in anything that springs from us, but in what God is and has been for us, as seen in the life and death of His blessed Son, the Lord Jesus. You must then keep your eye on Christ, and your ear attentively open to what He says, if you are to have peace.
Look at the touching tale which heads this paper, and to which the dying woman referred. What was the state of matters? Twelve years ill, she had “suffered many things,” had “spent all,” was “nothing bettered,” but “rather grew worse.” Twelve is the number that speaks of completeness in matters of human administration. Here it was complete misery. Every human resource had been found to be a source of vexatious disappointment not of healing. Complete poverty was the result, for she had “spent all.” This is just the case for Jesus; and if you, my reader, have found out that you are a poor weak sinner, needing salvation, and unable to save yourself,—spite of all the remedies which incompetent spiritual physicians prescribe, in the shape of good resolutions, amendment of life almsgiving, attendance on the means of grace, observance of ordinances, prayers, tears, penitential imposts, and perhaps even bodily flagellation,—you cannot do better than follow her footsteps.
Her faith was beautifully simple. She had heard of Jesus, and what she had heard had begotten in her heart the full conviction that to get into contact with Him, even remotely, meant sure and certain blessing. So convinced, her course is simple; may yours be the same. She “heard,” she “came,” she “touched,” and “straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up,” and, as a very simple consequence, she “felt” that “she was healed.”
Now this is always the way the soul comes to Jesus, for “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It is what you hear of Him in God’s Word that leads you to cast yourself simply on Him. The moment faith does that, the blessing is sure, and present too. Faith always secures the blessing, because it has Christ for its object, and not “self” in any shape or form. There was no virtue in her touch; all the virtue was in Him whom she touched, though it flowed forth bounteously in response to that touch of faith.
But there is a point of immense importance here. Not only is she sure she has touched Him, though it were only the hem of His garment―the sense of healing being “straightway” communicated―but He knew He had been touched, and by whom. Yes, Jesus knows if you have come to Him in simple faith or not. He is not an unobservant witness of the heavings and throbbings of the weary, restless heart, that scarce knows what it needs, yet finds all that need met in Himself. Here “Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him,... said, Who touched my clothes?” In vain do the disciples speak of the throng. The multitude had thronged, but not “touched” Him; faith alone did that. Yet did He not know who it was? Clearly, for “he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.” Why these, queries, then? Because the Lord loves to confirm faith wherever He finds it. The woman, healed thus perfectly, was about to retire without any confession of Him whose grace she had tasted. So now is it with many souls. They have trusted Jesus, got a sense of relief, perhaps even the half-hope that they are forgiven, but they have never got full peace or assurance. Why? Because they have never simply and fully confessed Christ, and hence never got to the point where they were free to listen simply to what He has to say to them. Till this moment is reached, two words describe the condition of such souls, viz., “fearing” and “trembling,” which is just what we read: “But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.”
This is unreserved committal of one’s self to Jesus, and what is the result? What I am wont to call the finest “confirmation service” in all Scripture. Had the Lord allowed her to go off without what now follows, she never would have had peace; for Satan would have followed her, and whispered, “Oh, yes, it’s quite true you are better just now, but your trouble will be sure to break out again; you are relieved, not cured;” and the fear of the impending plague would have corroded the joy which she rightly had. How gracious is the Lord! He does not like any soul that has trusted Him to be duped, deceived, and distressed any longer by the devil; so He speaks words which forever calm the troubled heart, “Daughter, thy faith Hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”
Not only is she made whole, but peace is to fill her heart if she thinks of the future; for “be whole of thy plague” are His last words to the one with whom He owns relationship by the exquisite epithet “daughter”
She had, therefore, the divinely given certainty, that she could never relapse into that state out of which the virtue which flowed from Jesus had drawn her. Similarly, the one who trusts Him now is entitled to know that forgiveness and eternal life are present possessions, and never can be lost; for what He gives in grace, He does not recall, even though the recipient be faulty and failing.
Scripture testimony is abundant on this point; e.g., “To him give all the prophets witness, that, through his name, whosoever believeth in him dual receive the remission of sins” (Acts 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)). “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)). Again, “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake” (1 John 2:1212I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. (1 John 2:12)). Thus we see on what ground God forgives. Christ’s work, and faith in His name. But not only does He forgive, ―which takes up my past history, pardoning my sins, ―He gives something that I am to enjoy now and forever. Thus my present and my future are met by what He gives, viz., “eternal life.”
How is this obtained? Hear His own word, and doubt no more. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:4747Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47)). “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27, 2827My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:27‑28)). What certainty! It is a confirmation of the simple saying, “He’ll no’ shake ye aff.” And not only does He give eternal life, but the one who believes Him is to know that he has it, for, “These things are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:3131But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (John 20:31)); and, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:1313These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)).
If you trust the blessed Son of God, ever so simply and feebly, present and eternal blessing is yours, and you ought to know, and rejoice in it. Not only is it yours, but you can never lose it, for it is “in Christ,” and therefore secure. Do you think sometimes He will give you up, because even since you trusted Him you have failed to rightly respond to His grace? Such a thought is entirely a suggestion of Satan, contrary to the Spirit of Christ and the teaching of Scripture; for it is written, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)); and, “Jesus.... having loved his own which were in the world, loved them unto the end” (John 8:11Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. (John 8:1)). These things being so, of all who trust the Saviour, this also is true: “We are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 2:13,1413But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13‑14)). Therefore, dear believing reader, I will only add a closing word, “Haud on, dearie, He’ll no’ shake ye aff.” W. T. P. W.