LITTLE did the speaker think, as he was addressing a large company of children one Lord’s Day, in simple, earnest language, suitable to his young hearers, that his words, however little they might be affecting the children, were falling in mighty power upon the conscience of an elder, who had been drawn into the meeting, partly by the sound of the singing, and partly for shelter from the rain.
W―had been quite an active member of a Presbyterian Church ever since he joined it. His zeal soon attracted and won the admiration of minister, elders, deacons, and the members in general, which secured for him rapid promotion. A prominent place was assigned him in the Sunday School and in the Young Men’s Sunday Morning Fellowship Meeting, and, when yet a young man, he was solemnly ordained an elder. So zealous was he in his high office, that he soon found himself the acknowledged guiding star of his fellow church officials. The business of the church could not be rightly done without his good advice. His knowledge, too, of a member being ill generally brought him to the sick-room, to minister the word of comfort he thought could only be given by one in his official position—save, of course, the minister.
The above was a good record, but far from a complete one, for much more might be said to his credit as a religious man “in the flesh.” With all his religious activity, however, there was “ONE thing” he had not, which he had heard some young men in the church say they possessed, viz., “assurance of salvation.” He, no doubt, would have liked it, but good as his life was he did not feel warranted to ASSURE himself he was saved. This lack of assurance, however, in no way troubled him, as he believed the possession or lack of it in religious men could be attributed to the difference of people’s temperament―some being more “sanguine” than others. There was one thing he felt perfectly SURE of; that was, he had as many good works, and was every bit as religious as any of them, and what more could be done by anybody? Besides this, he had his own conviction at times that it might after all be safest and wisest not to be too sure about being saved until we heard God’s verdict in the “day of judgment.”
Business called him one weekend from his home in the north of England to make some purchases in a wholesale house in Glasgow. That he might profit religiously as well as commercially by his visit, he resolved to stay over Lord’s Day, and hear one or more of the crack preachers of the city. He set out from his hotel in good time on Sunday morning to take a walk through the principal parts of the town, on the look-out for high spires, and otherwise imposing ecclesiastical structures, but to his inquiries as to whether the ministers of the most attractive churches he saw were considered good preachers no one to whom he spoke appeared able to inform him. This fruitless inquiry went on till the service had commenced in all the churches. Somewhat disappointed he kept moving on, now hoping to learn of a popular preacher he might yet hear in the afternoon or evening service. Rain began to fall very heavily, and as the fine morning drew him out without an umbrella, he exposed himself to it all in his eagerness to gain his object. But he plodded and inquired in vain. He did not get any satisfaction about the abilities of any minister.
It was well on in the afternoon when he came to a large plain structure, which he would have passed had he not been attracted by the voices of children singing hymns. As he was now wet to the skin, he resolved to go in and shelter from the rain. Besides, he would see how children’s services were conducted in Glasgow, and if there was anything worth copying, his own church Sunday school might profit by his visit.
The speaker took for his subject “Ears.” He dwelt chiefly on “hearing ears” and “deaf ears.” When speaking of the former, he said, “There were two distinct marks about all those who had ‘open’ or ‘hearing’ ears—viz., they knew they were lost sinners in themselves and could do nothing to save themselves. But they also knew that Jesus, God’s Son, had died for them, and having believed on Him as their Saviour they had got all their sins forgiven, and were therefore saved, and KNEW it.” Then, applying his subject in a practical way, he said, “Come now, let us see how many of you have ‘hearing ears.’ All those who know they are lost sinners in themselves hold up their hands.” A good many responded. “Now that is one mark, but another is needed, or it cannot be said your ‘ears’ are truly ‘open.’ All who have heard Jesus say, ‘Come unto me,’ and have come to Him, and got all their sins forgiven, and know they are SAVED, hold up your hands.” A fair number of hands went up, but not so many as before. In conclusion, he urged them to make sure they had “open ears,” for only those who had, had spiritual life in their souls. All who were in their natural state were in a condition of spiritual death. But the Son of God had been speaking from heaven in love for eighteen hundred years, and all who have heard His voice have lived. But all who refuse to hear Him and believe in Him are still “dead,” and if they pass into eternity in that state they “shall not see life; but the wrath of God will abide on them forever” (John 3:36,36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36) vss. 24, 25).
This plain, pointed speaking, in simple language, suitable to the juvenile hearers, had an effect upon the soul of the highly esteemed elder which all the eloquent sermons that he had ever heard never produced. He felt as if God, for the first time, was calling him to account by making him apply the “two marks” of “opened ears” to his own case, and on doing so he was forced, though reluctantly, to the conclusion that both marks were wanting.
Instead of his owning his place before a “holy God” as a lost sinner, unable to do one thing to save himself, he had ignored God’s just verdict about his state, and was vainly trying his best to please God by his supposed good works—the fruit of his fallen, sinful nature (Rom. 3:12, 7:18, 8:8; John 3:6, 76That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (John 3:6‑7)). Here, clearly, the first true mark of “open ears” was lacking. Then, as to the second mark, there could be no mistake it was wanting also, for he neither knew his sins were forgiven nor did he KNOW he was SAVED (see Hebrews 10:17, 1817And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. (Hebrews 10:17‑18); Eph. 2:88For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)).
The fact that there were boys and girls in that meeting with both “marks” of “open ears,” while he, an active elder of the church, had neither, was a deeply humbling discovery. And then, how could he take the place of a sinner now, after taking such a prominent place as a Christian? To have done so before he joined the Church he now felt would have been comparatively easy, but to do so now was humbling in the extreme. How could he go and tell his minister and fellow-elders, and others, that he was no Christian at all, that he had only been a hypocrite? Then, on the other hand, how could he go on with his religious activity in the Church when he knew he was not right?
This was the exercise his soul was passing through when he left the meeting for his hotel. A real work of God had begun in his soul, which deepened daily till he actually loathed himself. This spoiled him for the next six months in his religious energy as a member and elder of the Church. He could take little or no interest in its business or its members. All his thoughts were concentrated on himself as a lost sinner, whose case, he felt, had only been aggravated by his religious life, which had been nothing else than a show in the flesh, thereby deceiving both himself and others—passing off as a real Christian while he was only a counterfeit―a hypocrite.
But if all this self-boasting of the once self-esteemed elder was an experience deeply depressing to the soul, it was nevertheless the sure and necessary harbinger of a joy and blessedness that would last to all eternity. As he was now anxious to be saved, he was glad to learn that arrangements had been made for a series of gospel meetings in his own Church by an evangelist from Glasgow. He had made up his mind he would not let the occasion pass without getting saved, if God could possibly meet a case like his. He was present at the first meeting, and, strange to say, the preacher was the same person he had heard at the children’s meeting where he got stripped of his self-righteousness; and at this meeting it pleased God to use the same instrument to make his soul free and happy by John 5:24,24Verily, 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) “He that HEARETH my words, and believeth on him that sent me, HATH everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is pissed from death unto life.” His joy was so full, that he went straight up to the preacher at the end of the first meeting, and told him he had got saved while he was quoting the above verse during his address. He told him also how he had become convicted at his children’s meeting six months previously. After telling this to the preacher, he next told the company then in the church the way the Lord had dealt with him.
This was a happy start for the meetings, but only a start, for night after night sinners were brought to the feet of the blessed Saviour to hear from His own lips, by faith, the peace-giving words that first fell on the “opened ears” of the “sinner of the city” in the Pharisee’s house, “Thy sins are forgiven.... Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace” (Luke 7:48-5048And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. (Luke 7:48‑50)).
Have your EARS, dear reader, been opened to HEAR these precious words addressed to you? Do not rest, we beseech you, until you have heard and received God’s message of love and forgiveness. We conclude by asking you if the two “marks” of “open ears” are found with you—viz., that you KNOW you are a sinner in yourself, but as such have taken Christ as your Saviour, and now know for CERTAIN you ARE SAVED? If these two marks are wanting you may safely conclude, as the elder did, that your EARS are yet closed to “the voice of the Son of God,” and therefore that you are yet outside the circle of Christian blessedness.
J. M.