PREACHING once in a country district, the writer perceived one among the congregation wearing a very self-satisfied air. The preaching, however, had not proceeded far, before self-satisfaction gave place to indignation, for the gospel does not flatter the flesh, but rather brings it to nothing, in order to exalt Christ. It was no wonder then that our self-satisfied friend left the place, determining, as she afterwards told me, never to enter it again. Had she ever missed going to her church? Had not she attended the sacrament regularly? Was not she a good wife, mother and neighbor? and what more could you want? Lost, indeed! A pretty state of things when a respectable woman like herself was talked to in that way! So she took herself off.
Up to this time, while taking herself very much into the question, she had left God out, but He was about now to deal with her, and, accordingly, on the Sunday following, in spite of all her resolves and righteous indignation, she felt more and more uneasy as the hour for the preaching approached, till, at last, she could bear it no longer, put on her things and went to hear. Again the message was given of a Saviour who had come to seek and to save that which was lost; of One who received sinners, and ate with them; and the disagreeable thought kept forcing itself upon her, “What if, after all, you are lost?”
In a very different frame of mind she left the preaching that second Sunday night, and the anxiety which had then commenced was only deepened by her subsequent attendances.
It was soon after this that the writer, happening to get an opportunity of speaking to her alone, elicited from her the facts just narrated. Thankful at this evident work of the Spirit in her soul, he gave her text after text, proving the perfect safety of every lost sinner who believes on Jesus; but all in vain, for though she was thoroughly sincere and her need evident, she seemed quite unable to appropriate God’s message to herself.
Now it happened, that late in the ensuing week, a near relative of the writer’s was taken seriously ill, and he accordingly had to ask a friend to go and preach in his stead. He seized, however, the first opportunity afterwards to call on our anxious friend, and found her in the enjoyment of peace with God. Surprised at the sudden change, he asked how she had acquired her new-found joy, when she replied as follows:—
“That young man,” said she, “who came to preach instead of you last Sunday, took as his text the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, and when he began to preach there was one verse that he didn’t seem to be able to get away from. He kept saying, ‘It’s this way: He was wounded, and we are healed. It is very simple! Don’t you see, that if He was wounded for our transgressions, we must be healed? It’s plain enough; for all that believe He was wounded, we who believe are healed.’ And, at last, I began to think, if He was wounded for me, I am healed.”
Now I daresay, if the writer had happened to have entered during this gospel address, he would have said, “Dear me, he’s getting on very badly; this will never do. If he goes on like this he’ll scatter all my congregation.” But then, you see, God does not work by the grand discourses, and eloquent addresses, but by His Spirit; and I think I have somewhere read that that honored servant of the Lord, Mr. Spurgeon, relates that his own conversion was of a similar character to that just described.
Now, why I relate it is this: I want to press on any who are harassed with doubts or fears, what a perfect security is the portion of every believer in Jesus.
Yes, He was wounded, and we are healed. Jehovah’s sword awoke against His fellow, and He never sheathed it till justice was satisfied. Ah, but you say, “That’s just what I want to know. How am I to know that God is satisfied?” I’ll tell you.
“Is Jesus on the cross?”
“No.”
“Is He in the grave?”
“No.”
“Where is He, then?”
“He is in the glory.”
“Quite so. And He died for your sins?” “Yes.”
“You are sure of that?”
“Quite sure.”
“Then are your sins in the glory?”
“No; they could not be there.”
“But the One who bore them is, and that is the proof that God is satisfied, and that your sins are forever blotted from His sight. If ‘God were not satisfied with Christ’s sacrifice for your sins, He would be still in the grave. He is not in the grave, but on the throne—the eternal proof to all that God is satisfied. Are you?”
ML 08/11/1918