ONE evening, coming out of a cottage where the Gospel had been preached, I noticed a young man watching with some curiosity the small congregation as it dispersed. Having spoken to him, I invited him to be present the next evening on which there would be a Gospel service there, that he might hear about the Lord. He replied―
“I don’t think much of Him. God forgive me!”
Further conversation revealed, that though outwardly a professor of religion, and attending a so-called place of worship, his answer was but a declaration of the true state of his own soul―he saw no beauty in Christ that he should desire Him. I could not but think of the multitudes who like this young man, “don’t think much of Him,” though the same solemn sentence may not have fallen from their lips.
But I would ask you, my reader, as God’s eye rests upon you, remembering that “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:1313Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:13)), does He see written in your heart, yea, does He see written in every act of your life, “I don’t think much of Him.” You may attend to all the outward forms of religious observance―you may be moral, upright, amiable, respected by your friends, you may utter the prayer, “God forgive me,” as did the one of whom I write; but, refusing Him whom God alone has set forth as a Mediator between Himself and man,―all such prayers are but a vain repetition, and God’s one solemn searching question, “What think ye of Christ?” (Matt. 22:42,42Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. (Matthew 22:42)) must reveal to you that you are still of that company who see no beauty in Him that they should desire Him. Is this your case? If so, pause and weigh well the consequences.
He bears the only Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)). “God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-119Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9‑11)). Those who through grace bow now, through Him receive the forgiveness of their sins, and by Him are justified from all things (Acts 13:38, 3938Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39)). You must bow―for God, who cannot lie, has spoken it—now to receive the forgiveness and the pardon He is so ready to bestow, or, in a little while, have to acknowledge the glory of His Person, and the righteousness of the eternal judgment which He will visit upon you.
Pause―with all earnestness―I say, dear reader, and consider, are you prepared to go on another day without Him. It may be, ere another sun rises, you will have to face death―to face judgment, to see every tie that binds you to earth, severed forever. Will it be without Him? It is not yet too late for you to make the same wondrous discovery made in the fifty-third of Isaiah by those who once saw no beauty in Him that they should desire Him, viz., the discovery of their deep need of Him, and of His willingness to meet that need. Look back in simple faith and take up the language which was theirs, and thus individualize it as to yourself, “He was wounded for my transgressions, he was bruised for my iniquities,” and then go on to the next step, having received the testimony of God as to the value of His work, “by whose stripes I am healed.”
If you want to see beauty in Him, you must first learn to see your own ruin. It could be said of the woman in Simon the Pharisee’s house, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven: for she loved much, but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little” (Luke 7:4747Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. (Luke 7:47)).
May the readers of this little paper have their eyes anointed with eye-salve that they may see, firstly, their own need; secondly, the beauty of Him who has met it, so that instead of the language of their hearts being, “I don’t think much of Him,” it will become, through grace, He is “the chiefest among ten thousand,” “yea, he is altogether lovely” (Song of Sol. 5:10, 1610My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. (Song of Solomon 5:10)
16His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. (Song of Solomon 5:16)).
L. H. F.