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 3:1616For 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, 2019Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (Hebrews 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. 2:99But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 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,
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?"