Part 1.
SOME few years ago a Christian postman, whilst discharging his duties, often found the opportunity of speaking a word for his Lord and Master, both to His own beloved people and to those who were not His.
One day his duties calling him to a certain house, on the door being opened by the servant he felt constrained to quote the following words: — “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom. 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)).
Having delivered this message he went on his way, praying that it might be for the salvation of her soul, knowing that God’s word shall not return to Him void, but shall accomplish that which He pleases. He afterward learned that the word spoken was a message from God that she might be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth — to know Him who is the Truth, and by whom grace and truth came, as her own personal Saviour.
Several months had passed away, when one morning on his usual call, the young woman above referred to said: “I wish, if you are free, you would go to —, and see my sister who is very ill. She would be very glad to see you, and we do not think she will live long.”
Earlier than usual he set out the next morning and hastened to perform his duties, that he might be free to carry his Master’s message of light and love to a needy sinner. It was in the dark, cold month of November. On arriving at the cottage, and making known why he had come, he was shown to the room where the sick one lay, and where all was as bright and clean as a mother’s thoughtful care and tender love could make it.
The patient was extremely weak and ill, therefore it would be unwise to remain long, or talk too much. So, having sought from the Word of God to show her that all were sinners, and needed a Saviour, and that being helpless, hopeless, lost, and powerless to do anything to save themselves, God had come in and given His only begotten Son (the measure and expression of His love to the world), 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)), he told her of the finished work upon the cross, and how there the claims of eternal justice were fully met, and God glorified about the question of sin and sins; and how well pleased and satisfied He was with His Son, and with the work He had done, — giving assurance thereof in that He had raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His own right hand in glory, — He “was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:2525Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25)). The work being finished, God satisfied, the claims of Divine justice met, all that was left for her to do was to own her lost state and condition as a sinner before God, and rest on the shed blood and finished work of Christ as the basis of her peace with God; putting her trust in the peerless Accomplisher of that work, whereby God is just and the justifier of Him that believeth in Jesus; for we are justified not on the ground of works, but every believer can say, “Being justified by faith we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)).
Having sought thus to bring before her what she was, what all are before God, — sinners by nature and sinners by practice, guilty, lost, and undone, — and having dwelt on God’s love to the world in the gift of His only begotten Son, and having spoken of His death and resurrection, and how God, in virtue of what Christ had accomplished, now comes out in all the fullness of His love, and blesses according to the desire of His own heart, he exhorted her to come as a poor needy sinner to the sinner’s Friend, and He would receive and save her according to the word, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16). He then left, praying for an increase from the seed sown.
All thought that she would not be here long, and frequent visits were paid, and again and again that same sweet old Gospel-story of the grace of God was sought to be unfolded. It was not a new gospel, but the same told in various ways, as he felt led to speak from different portions of the Word. The same God of love in sending His Son — the same Saviour seeking the lost — He that cared for her soul waiting to bring her to God.
Think of the magnitude of His grace, dear reader, for
God cares for your soul,
and will you not honor the Son through believing on Him? Oh, give Him joy in allowing Him to save you from an eternity of blackness, despair, and woe in the lake of fire! Think, oh! think, of the love that led Him, from those eternal heights of glory, to the depths of woe which He endured on Calvary, and all for you and for me! He knew no sin, but was there made sin; and a holy sin-hating God poured out His wrath and forsook that spotless One. And why? Because He stood in the sinner’s place, a substitute for the sinner, that all who believe on Him might have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life!
The sick one lay for some time as one hovering between life and death, and through the winter frequent visits were paid. Once when there the sister, first mentioned in this paper, entered the room, and the following conversion took place: —
“Have you ever learned in the presence of God that you are a lost sinner, and can do nothing to save your soul?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Do you believe that Christ died for you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you believe that when He died He paid all that you owed, and settled everything that stood between you and God?”
“Yes, I do.”
“And why do you believe it, and how do you know it?”
“Because God says so in His Word.”
Her reply again was, “Yes, I do; for God tells me so in His Word, and I believe it; and the precious blood of Christ has cleansed me from all sin.”
Ah, she read the Bible, and believed it, and received it as the Word of the living God. It was God who spoke to her in that Word, and she heard with the hearing of faith; it was living faith in the living God.
They left the house together, and as they walked along she said, “Do you remember one morning some months ago quoting Romans 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9) to me when I came to the door? “He could not for the moment recall it; but as she began to quote the passage, it came vividly before him, and he answered, “Yes, I now remember it well.”
“God blessed that word to the salvation of my soul,” she said; “I had no rest until I did believe with the heart, and I thank God, I am saved.”
R. G.